Pokémon Chronicles - Web of Lies
by Eric566
Summary: Three years after the disbandment and defeat of Team Uncario, the members of Team Star find themselves thrust back into stardom after a succesful mission in dealing with an unexpected menace. However, the fall of the last of the Dark Eons and this new achievement has stirred new enemies from the ends of the world, and re-ignited the fires of an empire best forgotten. Sequel to AHR.
1. Remembrance of the Past

**The essence of life… is change.**

 **Changes come to all of us, at one time or another. It can be subtle, it can abrupt. It can be good, it can be bad. Change is never welcomed. It is feared, it is abhorred, it is misunderstood. Though eventually it takes place, there is a brief of confusion… then outrage, followed by a repression, an analysis, an understanding… and then quiet acceptance.**

 **Change needs change. The people of your world cry for it, in one way or another: humans starve at the other end of the world, some die out of disgust and hatred with their own lives, drowning in the cesspool that they have inevitably found themselves flung into by that mysterious, ambiguous and non-existent higher being that is simply called "fate". And others try to change it… and fail.**

 **And to the same extent, so do some people of my world cry for change.**

 **Do you hear them? Their voices… They are so loud… they reach us too.**

 _No harm will come to you ever again… my child._

 _I promised I would change the world… and not even you will stop me, brother._

 _I will expose vile creatures like you for what you are: wolves in sheep's clothing_

 _To defend those in need, and to destroy those that do ill… that is my duty._

 _Look at yourselves in a mirror and reflect: how can you call yourselves heroes?_

 _Evil and a disdain for life is a sign of weakness… and the weak are unfit to change the world._

 _People need a leader, an icon they can follow… and I'll be the one that guides them through this._

 _We all live in a world of masters and servants, but I aim to break those chains._

 _We all have someone we care about, and we'll move mountains if that means protecting them._

 _The poor suffer while the rich gain… but I aim to turn this world on its head._

 _You live in a false world, a world where you stare at shadows projected by a crude puppet show… I'll show you the truth._

 _Destiny is unavoidable… and the destiny of this world is to change._

 **But I digress: Change comes. And one must be ready for it. One must be ready for things to change. Whether they like it, or not.**

 **This simple concept is the basis of the story I will tell you. For this reason, I must urge you to reconsider: if you desire for change, for things to not remain the same, and for everything to take a turn, either for the better or worse, then you are free to stay. If, however, you don't desire change, or are simply afraid of it, leave, and do not come back, but do know that one day, change will catch up to you.**

 **To those that have made your decision and have decided to stay… we must go back now.**

The duo embraced themselves on the beach, having reunited, and bowing to never, never let go…

 **Heart warming… but we must go further back.**

"This book… these artifacts what are they all about? What is their purpose?"

 **Soon enough you shall know. Further. Back to the beginning of it all.**

The sky was pitch black. No stars, no moon, no clouds. Nothing. It felt as if he was staring into a void of never-ending darkness.

 **Further…**

"You… you can't call yourself a guide… when you've lost sight of what is right!"

 **The beginning…**

The two brothers faced each other, the moon shining behind them, their rings glowing in the pale light as the stood amidst the ruins of the ruined castle, the corpses of those they had known throughout their lives scattered about like lifeless dolls…

 **Of it all…**

Yes. After all these years, plain as day I can see it, it still lies in front of me, as real as the air we breathe, as despairing as the sight of the one you love tumbling down and spiralling downwards toward their doom, and as convoluted and complicated as the web of lies that has been carefully laid out for you all.

Careful, careful… you don't dare snap the carefully crafted strings, now do you? One by one, they have been made and gently, almost tenderly laid out, put together like a delicate and elaborate machine. A machine that spews out nothing but fetid and rank tar-like liquids that slips into your body through every open pore, seeping into your soul and changing your views of the world: lies, the product of the corrupt and the food of the simpleton. That is the image of a world that demands change, is it not? It yearns for it… cries for it… screams and kicks like a newborn baby that refuses to accept the hard facts: you're no longer in the safety of the womb. You have been thrust out into the wild, unpredictable, violent and disgusting world that you now belong to.

Is this really the lives that you want to lead? The lives that you want your children to have? And the ones who come after? A never-ending cycle of manipulative propaganda, turning brothers against brothers, uprooting families, killing innocents, destroying lives and ruining whatever dreams and hopes that one may have had.

Do you still not desire change?

But please, let us not get ahead of ourselves… there is much to tell, and so little time for us to interact. But like with every good story, we shall start from the beginning… the beginning of it all… yes… That pale, silvery moon smiling down to the world, chunks of carefully cut out and crafted marble and stone floating upward alongside me… or were we descending? My memory fails me at times, sadly, for it has been far too long. Too many things on my mind…

 **(One of a Kind - Bayonetta)**

Ah yes, we fell, but at the same time we ascended. We wouldn't give up, now would we? That pale, snow white, pure fur of his, in more ways than one an indication of what he was, or rather what he could've become, hadn't it been for the circumstances. Our gazes exchanged a knowing look. We both knew. Why wouldn't we? Time had seemingly frozen around us during that fleeting instant, our souls and minds mingling together for the first and only time: respect, anger, a slight hint of fear, but overall an overwhelming and intoxicating amount of determination… I let them go. Did I do wrong? You're incapable of judging, but yet again, one day you will be able to understand. Understand why I did it. And why change is ultimately necessary.

But now I return my attention to the hell below: black creatures run rampant below, a streak of silver catches my eye, and the pain is blinding. How long had it been? Eons perhaps, millennia? What does it matter, really? The fact was that my vision went white, for an instant I lost consciousness even, or maybe I am wrong… after all, I cannot feel pain anymore. That's right… that wasn't what I was doing at that time… that was him. He was still besides me… why? He had fallen, of course, how could I forget?

We were both upside down, falling to our deaths, but I quickly recovered and landed on a chunk of falling rock, setting him on the slab as he regained his consciousness. His powers still worked, he could fend for himself, that I knew very well. The Rebscura were right on time too, winged abominations, almost like harpies but with a horrendous and anti-natural twist. We dispatched them as quickly as they appeared. You've fought, have you not? We covered each other's backs: his, furry and glistening from the sweat, tears and blood, mine covered by the black fabric that hid not only my real shape, but also my true identity, hidden as always under a veil of shadows.

The streak of silver returned, as vicious as ever, slicing the slab in half. He jumped away to deal with his own affairs. I merely had to stand still, the rock spinning and then I leapt across the void underneath, landing on another and running along it's length, grabbing to a maimed and crumbled pillar and jumping off the side of the massive tower to another chunk, where a maimed and mutilated corpse awaited, soon to be squashed by the massive claw of yet another one of those abominations. Friends and dear family one moment, gone the next. But who am I referring to?

As I dispatched these creatures with ease and grace, and descended further down, down into that hellish realm, preparing it all for the battle that was to come, I must explain something: the change I defend is honest and truthful. The world is in pain, a type of suffering that it had never deserved, and all of it was provoked by the actions of a single selfish individual, whose name and intentions you will later on learn about… I merely want this world to return to its original peaceful state, before they came here and destroyed all that I had come to love and defend… things that they themselves had taught me. To bring me up, only to destroy me afterwards… a disgusting, apathetic excuse for a sentient being.

And as I faded into the still raging war down below, you may wonder: why? Why all of this? Who are you? This is not a beginning, but rather an end. And yes, I have to agree: this is the end, and it also serves as a middle point and a beginning. It is all, and it is none of them.

And as for me… As of now I am just a mere **Watcher.**

 **(Stop the music)**

 **But soon you shall find that I am the true hero of this tale.**


	2. Prologue - Come into my parlour

**And we're finally back! Welcome everyone, to my next fic: Web of Lies! The sequel to AHR and FotW is finally here, after a long hiatus from the main story, we're finally going to straight into the action. I know that the first "chapter" of this fic wasn't too impressive in terms of length, but it's packed with symbolism, so I'd tread carefully in those lines.**

 **Asides from that, those of you who are here and don't what's happening I'll catch you up: this is a sequel to my first fic, A Hero's Rebirth. If you haven't read it yet, then you are advised to do so before proceeding, otherwise you will be heavily spoiled. Asides from that, as many of you may know, I like to post the titles of songs I feel fit with certain scenes, like fights or emotionally charged ones. These are not mandatory, and they are there just in case you want to add more to the fic. The more options, the better. To listen to them, I recommend having a Youtube tab opened while you read, then when the title comes up copy paste it directly to the search bar. When the indication to stop the music appears**

 **And also, like in FotW, I will be answering reviews here!**

 **WesternFail, I'm glad to see you're sticking around and a million thanks for betaing this chapter! And we begin indeed…. we shall see how this story goes!**

 **Long time no see, Pichu! I have to say, there's a lot more to it than just the web being a complex machine… perhaps this is all just a lot of foreshadowing in one place, you should consider who says what and why they say it. Can you really trust Watcher? Who is he referring to? And what does this change mean?**

Followup to that last one Luchux, it's supposed to be confusing and mysterious! All the questions from above apply… but you'll see what it all means eventually.

Thanks a lot for reviewing so early on, and hope you guys enjoy this! Now, proceed!

 _Book 4 - The Spider_

 _ **Prologue**_

 _ **Come into my Parlour…**_

 _ **Enjoy your peace and glory while they last**_

 _In just a single instant, our lives can change drastically. It can be a change for the better, like getting lucky and finding your place in the world, or simply getting some peace of mind… and sometimes things change for the worst. In a single instant, your entire life can be torn to shreds, and all it takes is just a broken wheel in a carriage passing through a mountain ridge. As the cart tumbles down, it's inhabitants bouncing and rebounding off the wooden boards, a stake burying itself into the neck a loved one whilst another falls out the hole… Often, in these tragedies, one simply cries and mourns for what has happened, an unexpected turn of fate, cruel some might even say… But it all takes on a different meaning when it was all foretold._

 _And yet you could do nothing to avoid the tragedy… and so you wait, crying and sobbing in the rain, unsure of why any of this had happened, too young to comprehend that you're alone in the world… and then finally, stepping through the mud, a shape comes out. Clad in a brown coat, he quickly approaches, flabbergasted as the scene before him, his voice clearly male as he inspects for survivors… and finds me in the rubble, clutching the pokémon with eyes white as smooth stones that I'd once called mother. Blood seeps into my fur, now wet and soggy from the rain, dirtied further by the mud. I have been crying for a long time now, my tears lost in the raindrops, the world itself mourn for my loss._

 _The sight no doubt squeezes his heart and strangles it, and unable to do or say anything to return what was once mine and no longer there… he instead attempts to replace it, and utters the words._

" _Don't worry my child… nothing will harm you anymore."_

 _And now, once again, he is forced to repeat those words, crying like he did then. A single instant that lasted twenty years it was this time, our village torn asunder, his children and family gutted and devoured by the creatures that we'd once called friends, now turned into beasts. We both cry as we watch what had been built burn down to the ground, the once peaceful village that oversaw the sea over a ridge now slowly turning into smoke, accompanying the souls of the lost on their way to his grace's ever loving embrace. And once again, I wonder if the tragedy could have been avoided, if I should've heeded to my dreams, as I should have back then. A wonderful gift, or a terrible curse, I cannot tell… but it is the one thing I know, and the one thing that father helps me control and use for good._

Maria

* * *

The sun in the sky shines harshly down on Hoenn's smallest island, Resurgam, a name the meaning of which had been long lost in the dusty and torn pages of the archipelago. A single shape, an Aggron, comfortably shifts and breaks through the crowds in the bustling streets of the island's main village, named after the plot of land itself, his eyes set on a large building at the end of said street. As he crosses the street a carriage with Ponytas at the lead threatens to drive him over, but it stops a few feet away, and the horse like pokémon are flogged immediately, the rider, a sickly looking Watchog throwing insults at the fire types and apologies to the steel type, whose intense gaze hurries his departure, losing himself further down the road.

The Aggron reaches his destination and knocks on the door with a peculiar pattern. The soft click of a lock opening is heard, and the wooden slab slides sideways and inside the building. What had once been a police department was now their base of operations, and he was quite pleased with their results: as he came in, a group of young pokémon, a Rampardos, a Cinccino and a Tyrunt all walk out, determined looks on their faces as they lose themselves into the crowd.

He closes the door behind him and walks further in. The building was being used, but it was not being properly kept, the ground dirtied with dust and pebbles from the street, mud and water from the frequent rains and holes in the walls from the passage of time, acquiring a brown hue to its natural white, though all the disgusting colors were lost in the darkness that wrapped that entire hallway. Even then, through the holes he could gaze at the main room, where even more pokémon, of many different species and sizes, were listening to a Drapion lecturing them.

"Long ago, Hoenn was an empire of beauty and luxury. United, the leaders of the islands commanded the region to prosperity, its inhabitants leading extravagant lives, full of leisure and peace. But peace brought weakness, and once the eyes of the other region's leaders set their sights on the islands bountiful resources, among the which were the inhabitants themselves, a large amount of shiny pokémon… only ruin followed." He was quite eloquent, something that served their purposes perfectly, and the Aggron stood by the broken door frame and waited. Some had already noticed his presence, and whispers rose from the group, though quickly silenced by the poison type's voice.

"The events that transpired have long been buried and forgotten by those that live outside… but us, Hoennians, we remember still, and we will never forget the shame and penitence they brought here: their illnesses were pinned on us, saying we poisoned their wells. They enslaved us because we were different, chastising us and cutting us off, forcing us to work for them to exploit the lush field we'd once played in… They took it all for themselves, and when this great region was left with nothing, what did they do?!"

" **They abandoned us!** "

"Yes! Yes they did! They left us to die and rot in these forsaken lands, the ones they themselves had ruined… quickly, it all fell into anarchy as the slaves fought and spilled the blood of their masters to regain their freedom, and then quickly they spilled each other's blood for the few morsels they could enjoy the eat. And some rose up and became more powerful than others, and those are the dictators that now rule us! An empire of brilliance now turned to nothing but shambles! And whose fault is it?!"

" **Theirs!** " The young ones were getting riled up, cries demanding for their offenses to be repaid raising up and being cheered by their companions, and soon their voices and shouts overtook even those of the Drapion. The Aggron was satisfied by all this, and even as the magnet turned to face him in slight distress, he nodded and waited for him to finish his speech.

"And what will you do?! Now that you have a purpose, you have been fed and are prepared to face them! What will you do?!"

" **Take it all back!** " They broke into cheering and praying, some of them crying tears at the intensity of the speech, which continued for half an hour more, the Drapion spilling more tales of the injustices exerted on the Hoennian people by those that came from outside… nothing but vapid lies that served their purposes perfectly. And none would know the truth, that the island's leaders had been the ones to start cutting their rivals' throats to try and completely unite the islands through violence… these were the official versions, the version of history taught everywhere else. And through their learning these children had converted the truth into lies, and adopted falsehood as their true belief. Everything proceeded as accorded.

"We shall take it all back! The world is a cruel place, we have been forgotten, but we shall rise again! Now go, my warriors, go our glorious leader and await for the time of war!" More roars echoed, and finally the session came to an end, the mob dispersing, some staying behind to exchange a few short pleas and bows with their leader before disappearing and leaving through the door… leaving only the Aggron and a few stragglers behind.

"Fantastic work… Our leader will be very pleased to receive these new warriors." He praised the Drapion's work, who laughed and walked further inside.

"I have done the best I can… After all, my days of announce false gods came to an end, but I still conserved my skills."

"Nonsense. You now speak for the truth. A few lies here and there do not change the fact that we do is the right thing to do. You tell them what their true purpose in life is… to serve us for a new and better world." They both remained silent after this until they were far away from everyone else so they wouldn't be heard. "However, it seems that we will be forced to move away… for our operations here have been compromised.

The Aggron's words brought a great deal of alarm to the Drapion, whose eyes widened. "Impossible! We have operated with the utmost care! How could it be that they learned we were enlisting them for our purpose here, in this very building?"

"Perhaps some of your followers were never that devoted… but that is besides the point: it would be a shame for you to be lost like this, my friend… so gather your things and leave. Otherwise things may take a turn for the worst." With that, the Aggron turned away and started to leave… but turned around to gaze at the bug type one last time. "And do not trust anyone… not even those you know best." This last bit of advice was too strange however, and the Drapion thought it to be a warning to not trust any new recruits… And besides, his anger was so great that even after his superior left he took no chances and shouted at everyone to start picking up everything.

He turned to one of his most trusted aides, a Machamp, and quickly ordered him to burn the boxes with their propaganda and any data on their followers. The fighting type saluted him and walked away… barely hiding a smirk, an electric blue tongue barely visible through his teeth, not unlike a canines'.

( **Life Will Change, Instrumental - Persona 5** )

He quickly walked over to one of the aforementioned boxes, and inside he saw the true unconscious Machamp and a purple crystal, hanging from a long cord, like a necklace. He hung it from his neck and touched it, entering the conversation.

" _They're moving, that's our cue._ "

" _Holy shit Zed, that was some intense fucking acting._ _Like, that Drapion looked so big he could've bitten your head off if he'd found you out!_ "

" _Now now, I'm pretty sure THAT's the last thing he wants to hear, because he's still got something left to do. And please, keep the swearing to a minimum, Serge._ "

" _Why are you such a buzzkill, boss?_ _Ugh, whatever, we're on our way._ "

" _ETA: 5 minutes. We're moving right now. Eric, are you in position?_ "

" _Of course I am. Right, Zed open the main door and make sure it stays open until the others arrive, I'll take care of…_ " The transformed Zorua had already taken off to open the door, and was halfway through convincing the guard there when all of a sudden a shout of alarm echoed in the building. Then he'd remembered: he had left the box open, and thus the unconscious Machamp had been found quickly after that. Without a second thought he buried his fist into the guard's face and unlocked the door.

" _What the hell is all that shouting about?_ " Their superior's voice was heard to all of them, and panic spread across the group.

"I forgot to close the box back up again and they found the Machamp… crap crap crap, what do I do?!" Zed was starting to panic again, having reverted to his normal form: a shiny Zorua with a lot of fluffy fur and the purple necklace.

" _Hold on, I'll be there before you know it!_ "

" _Even at top speed it'll take you too long to reach him Lucy, three minutes to be precise, and you wouldn't help that much._ " Before they all started arguing, another voice spoke up.

" _Eric, how many of them are there?_ " The female's voice made the pokémon she was referring to smirk. The Riolu was standing on the top of the building, looking in through a dormer. He stood back up and readied himself, his long blue scarf waving in the wind as he grasped the white crystal hanging from his neck.

"Arceus, I love it when you get these ideas Elly."

" _Just try to not get yourself hurt!_ " Her words didn't fall on deaf ears, but the Riolu had already jumped in through the window, falling down and surprising everyone inside as he pounced a Wobuffet that broke his fall. He stood back up, holding up his right arm, a complicated set of tattoos and drawings depicting a star and writings ascending up to his shoulder.

"Oh come on, you know how I am!" He responded, letting them hear his voice too.

"Ambush!" The Drapion shouted immediately and the pokémon that still remained inside charged the Riolu, who stomped the Wobbufet to make sure he stayed unconscious and jumped off, coming down on a Pansear and punching downward, dizzying him before burying his foot into its face with a roundhouse kick, throwing him back with a few teeth missing. The blue fighting type recovered his stance quickly and breathed in and out quickly, relaxing as his arms and legs started blowing blue, ducking under the swipè of Meowth's claws and then leaned to dodge a punch. He grabbed his arm and quickly threw him over his shoulder at a Seviper, who took the hit but still lunged at Eric.

He waited for the last second and as its jaws opened to reveal the venomous fangs, his right fist flew up at staggering speeds and shut it close, no doubt breaking a fang or two… but then the aura in his arm shot up as well, following the motion of his fist as he released it all in one punch, launching the snake up high against the roof, smacking against it and making a few pieces of wood and debris fall down. A Purrloin jumped on the Riolu's back, brandishing its claws, but Eric quickly ducked and punched its face, then delivered a flurry of kicks to its stomach that ended with him releasing the aura from both feet, doing a dive kick that launched the pokémon away and through one of the precarious looking walls.

He didn't have the time to breathe though, as a Gurdurr attempted to crush him with a loose iron beam, the Riolu quickly rolling away and then punching the beam with the last of his aura, bending it out of shape in the blink of an eye. The bigger fighting type looked at his makeshift weapon and visibly panicked, dropping it on the ground and running away, scared out of his wits at the display of strength as the Riolu got up. One by one, Drapion's followers fell, and even the cowardly Gurdurr could get away, as Zed was still covering the door, and in its haste didn't notice the Zorua, who quickly transformed back into that Machamp and delivered a karate chop to a specific spot on its back, knocking it out. For once, his knowledge of medicine was useful for something else.

The poison type already foresaw what was going to happen, and was tempted to run away at the sight of the star, but didn't do so until the Gurdurr fell. Whilst the rest of his followers distracted the Riolu, he quickly took running to the other side of the building, crashing through a boarded up window and attempting to escape. Eric noticed his evasion however, as sneaky as he might have tried to be.

" _He's getting away!_ "

The massive shadow of a Pidgeot however, said otherwise.

" _Not on our watch!_ " The bird flew down and took a swing at the Drapion's side, a gush of blood surging out as a small cut appeared on his right leg. The flying type wasn't the one that landed however, but instead a Houndour and a Shinx, who looked at eachother and smiled. The Drapion still tried to get away by dragging himself away, but the Houndour predicted this.

"Not today pal!" The fire type jumped forward, flames surging from his claws and maw as he was enveloped in fire, dashing in front of him and leaving a trail of flames, which he then breathed fire into, increasing their intensity and size, surely scaring some of the pedestrians but effectively cutting off that escape route. The Shinx covered the other one, and the last remaining road was blocked off as the Pidgeot landed, a Sneasel on his back.

"Nice one spotting those windows from so far away, Jake! He could've gotten away otherwise!" The Pidgeot looked at the Sneasel, who simply shrugged and smiled deviously.

"It is only natural I take into account every possibility." They all nodded and focused on the Drapion, slowly approaching him, though they were interrupted by the unconscious body of a Granbull flying out the building through another of the boarded windows, landing not too far away from the poison and bug type they had surrounded. Following him Eric and Zed also walked into the sunlight, and the Drapion knew who they were: Team Star, Eric the Riolu, Zed the Zorua, Lucy the Shinx, Serge the Pidgeot, Jake the Sneasel and Nox the Houndour. However, one was still missing… but that was the least of his worries right now.

"Please stop, I won't run away, I promise! Just stop, please don't hurt me anymore! My leg hurts too much, this is unbearable!" He started pleading and crying, making quite a scene, and Serge laughed loudly.

"What?! Dude, that's just a fleshwound!" Eric approached the Drapion, feeling confident.

"That's the smallest wound you're going to receive today pal… Because after this you'r-" The Drapion's fake tears had seemingly worked, and Eric got close enough for his stinger to reach the Riolu, attempting to stab and kill him… but it never reached the Riolu. Instead, a black mass shot out from inside the building and wrapped itself around his tail as it took the shape of a large Riolu paw, pinning it to the ground and making the Drapion scream in pain as he was forced to lay down.

Out from the building, an Eevee with sky blue eyes and a black crystal hanging from her neck walked out. The last member of the team: Elly the Eevee. "As he was saying…" She decided to finish off her mate's speech. "You're going straight to prison after this on the crimes of manipulation, kidnapping, promoting terrorism, kidnapping and murder!" The papers were still inside, intact, they hadn't done anything, as Team Star's attack was too quick… And he couldn't do anything with his tail and body pinned down like that.

"Alright… I concede… I give up."

( **Stop the music** )

Team Star in its entirety smiled, as they knew he truly meant it this time: victory was theirs.

As the commotion came to an end, and Nox's flames died out, the villagers and pedestrians bunched up around the team, curious as to why any of this had happened. Officials and police members from the ETF approached to apprehend the criminals, thus drawing everyone's attention away from the two pokémon standing on the rooftops, far away from where they were. One of them was the Aggron, who, despite his large appearance, had had no issues getting up to the rooftop, while the other was a figure clad in a black cloak, features indiscernible, wrapped in a mantle of shadows that Team Star's members would recognize.

"So… they have made their move." The Aggron begun, the figure besides him nodding.

"Indeed. It seems our activities here were compromised one way or another, but our goals still remain a mystery to them. We'll take advantage of this… And before they know, there shall be an army heading our commands." The cloaked one looked at his subordinate. "I feel the rage that emanates from you… he was there, wasn't he?"

"He's the reason they even pulled off this whole schtick anyways… Who does he think he is, but a wolf in sheep's clothing." A hand was gently placed on his shoulder.

"All in due time, my friend… For I know you crave justice, but we must be patient, and play our hand when the time is right. The Dark Eon failed to do so appropriately, and while he won many battles, the war was lost in the end." The cloaked one shook, as if a cold took hold of him, and his grip tightened. "You'll get a chance to bury your fangs into his body."

"No… I don't want to just bury them. I want to make him suffer, and to do that, I'll make sure his precious 'friends' learn of what he's done to me in the past." The Aggron's words were filled with bitter hatred, one that the cloaked figure thoroughly enjoyed as he patted his face.

"Correct. Let us leave then, for we have much to do and prepare for the main event…" He chuckled in his excitement, a maddened giggle, and jumped off the roof, soon followed by the Aggron, and the two were soon lost to the shifting crowds underneath.

* * *

"Alright, so… I now move here and…" Lucy moved her Horsea three spaces further than she could, and jumped up as she announced her victory. "Checkmate! In your face!" She let out a hearty laugh, the green eyed Shinx jumping back on her cushion and relishing in her victory, purring as she rubbed up against the fluffy surface and swung the three pointed star at the end of her tail left Elly flabbergasted, and the Eevee began laughing like a maniac whilst Jake threw his arms up in frustration and got up.

"I give up. There is only so much patience a Sneasel can have before finally reaching his wit's end." While the Sneasel's demeanour was usually as cool as the cyan color the gems on his chest and forehead glowed, there was something about the Shinx's behaviour that always riled him up.

"What? Too mad I beat you at chess, Mr. Smarty pants?!" Lucy truly believed she had won… or perhaps this was all a clever ruse on her part just to see Jake writhe in anger and laugh at his reactions, which were often hilarious to most of the pokémon involved, when they didn't involve threats to have a body part painfully removed, of course. This time the dark blue furred Sneasel simply walked back and dropped on the armchair at the other side of the room, right besides the round window through the which one could see the swaying waves. He moved his long red ear out of the way of his face as he huffed.

"I… I give up. I cannot. Should I proceed further I risk losing some of my mental capabilities. My brain cells are now in excruciating pain as I attempt to comprehend your thought processes! How can a single pokémon be so deluded!"

"How can a single pokémon have their heads so far up their ass so as to not admit they lost!" Was her reply, which earned her some chuckles and ovations from her friends.

"Ok, that was actually good." These words came from the other side of the room, where Serge was laying on the other armchair, trying to fix the feathers on his head and comb them in a stylish manner similar to a mane, long enough that they went down his neck, a streak of blue, green and orange adorning his head.

"Come on, guys, keep it down. Do you always have to get like this when you play chess, Lulu?" Zed's affectionate name instantly silenced the Shinx, as it usually did, her cheeks turning a bright red as she was betrayed by her most loved one.

"Et tu, brute?" Serge quoted, barely holding back the tears, that single sentence encapsulating the emotions in that room.

"Ok, no seriously, you guys need to cool it. Some people are trying to rest here, and the fact we're still on a ship certainly doesn't help it." Eric replied from behind the other armchair, laying his head against it with a pillow underneath. "It's obvious that you guys didn't have to handle a whole gang by yourselves."

"It's obvious you didn't end the fight in a stylish way… come on, not even a pose? Really Eric? Besides, Drapion would've gotten away if it hadn't been because of my fire, so I'm going to put this victory to my name!" Nox boasted, as always, though he was mostly doing it for fun, albeit there was a bit of sincerity in his words when referring to him thinking his role that day had been invaluable.

"Go ahead, you only have like… what, twenty odd criminals to catch up to me?" Eric leaned over his spot to look at the orange eyed Houndour as he said this, waiting to see his reaction, and sure enough the Houndour was flustered, specially when Jake specified the existing gap between them to be of twenty three counting this one.

"Oh shut up! Cunabula wasn't built in a day!"

"Damn right it wasn't… but they didn't progress one pebble a day, that's for damn sure!" Serge's addition to the conversation only helped make the fire type the butt of the joke, and the rest of the conversation slowly devolved into chuckles or repeating their former sentences as everyone settled down and got comfortable.

They didn't have time to properly sleep or rest however, as they arrived at their destination shortly after. The captain of the ship, a Golduck clad in a black long sailor's trenchcoat that went by the name of Toothache, made sure they knew it. "Aight, ya lot, we be at yer town again! So get on down! And whenever ya need some more help, ya know old Toothache will be there for ya!" The reason he was called like that was because his teeth were disjointed from an accident, and as such could not properly pronounce words, making long hissing sounds most of the time. Still, the message got across, and Team Star didn't care for his appearance: he was not only a trusted sailor but also a level headed pokémon, a rarity as of late.

They did as they were told, grabbed their things and came up to the hull, the afternoon sun greeting them and blinding the group momentarily as they walked the plank and made their way to the docks. They had to wait around for Lucy to muster up the strength and courage to cross over the water, and meanwhile Elly took her time to appreciate just how much the town had changed. One could barely call it a town anymore, as it had become one of the biggest commercial cities in Sinnoh. The docks they were standing on had been build barely a year ago, the wood still fresh and lush, but they were packed to the brim with ships full of travelers, immigrants or simply merchandise and other goods that were to be sold in the town's own market or carried further inland.

Whatever the case, after the Time Freeze, international communication had been regained with the other regions, and with it the trade routes were revived. The townsfolk of Treasure Town knew that for anything to come through to Sinnoh it would have to pass through Treasure Town, located at the tip of the Western Peninsula, or they'd have to sail for far longer, and so the town was adapted: while it kept the name of Treasure Town, purely because anyone had yet to come up with a better name, it had grown exponentially while Team Star was gone on their interdimensional vacation: the docks were mostly populated by mariners and seamon that helped carry the merchandise and sailed away to take care of their affairs, plus other first necessities like an inn, bars and some shops.

This whole area was located below the main town, though thankfully it had been built facing the bluff, so the Sharpedo shaped cliff and the beach where they had all made so many wonderful memories were intact. Once the Shinx was on land, they quickly got on their way. "Well, someone's gotten better at handling their fear of water." Eric commented, slowing down so that he walked alongside her.

"Well… What did you expect? I couldn't let that control my life!" She attempted to look confident, but Elly giggled and promptly followed up.

"But I remember you told me you were still deadly afraid of water… you just decided to focus on other things instead of the fact you're on a ship and voilá, you're no longer scared… most of the time." The poor Shinx just couldn't catch a break that afternoon, and promptly complained about everyone getting under her fur that day. After a quick round of laughter they decided to leave her be. Elly kept her gaze focused on their surroundings, especially as they walked into her favorite part of town: the heart of Sinnoh's trading routes, Treasure Town's main road had been expanded and lengthened, and now housed a wide variety of shops, stands and other vendors that sold whatever you could imagine. From books, to antiquities, to food, covering things like good luck charms of dubious effectiveness and furniture, this place all that one could need in their daily lives.

Of course, it didn't sell absolutely everything one could buy: when it came to coastal cities based on commerce, Treasure Town was ranked among the biggest and most influential, but it fell short to the sheer range of products that Pontavicel in Unova and Flumerc Ars in Johto had to offer, specially the latter. Still, there was something that those two didn't have, and that was a guild as famous and reliable as Wigglytuff's keep close scrutiny on what products were being sold, making sure they were up to standards and of course, acting as peacekeepers whilst shutting down any shady businesses that tried to set shop in that relatively tranquil city.

And speaking of the guild, the new building eclipsed the sun as they came into town, it's long shadow crawling across the entire avenue and reaching the docks, the stars already coming out to play at the end of the firmament. However, she was too distracted by the amount of pokémon coming and going around them, plus the greetings from some known faces, like Electro and Marco the Marowak, or the crippled Keck, who still kept his business running even after his brother Leon succumbed during one of the many battles that took place in that very soil, and proving to be fierce competition to even some of the biggest sellers nearby. Elly couldn't help come closer to greet the green lizard herself, his old age starting to take a toll, but moving with the all the grace and strength he could muster. Both brothers had taken care of the Eevee while she was seemingly alone in that world, and it was something she would never forget whilst she lived.

After saying their goodbyes and wishing him a good night, the group reunited near the entrance to the residential district, much more plain than the commercial one, but still quite large, a seemingly endless maze of forked roads and intersections that was smaller than it seemed, and only spread across the cliffside for a few hundred meters. They'd kept the beach and its surroundings completely pristine, and instead expanded further inland, rebuilding the old entrance, but everyone agreed this was a better option than having houses lean over the ridge and be visible from the beach.

Still, there was one house that stood separated from the others, a bit closer to the beach, and was barely visible from down there, but it was a special case: after all, saving the world did have its merits. It didn't help that Eric and Elly had felt it fitting that their home should be established near where Team Star had first been created. The house, which all seven members shared, was quite large, though nowhere near that of a nobleman or even a squire. The first thing they saw of the building was the wooden Veranda that covered the front porch and continued to the left side of the house. It had been painted white, just like the house itself, though the beams and safety railings were of a gray shade, same with the steps that lead up to the main entrance.

"Maan, I'm gonna take a serious nap before dinner, I'm beat." The sight of home sweet home had drawn back the spectre of exhaustion upon everyone in the team, albeit Eric was slightly offended by Serge's words.

"You? You're exhausted? You barely did anything!"

"But I did something, yeah? Something is better than nothing, and that means that I need to replenish that energy, so a nap is in order." He truly did look exhausted, but it was for reasons he had not explained to the rest of the team… though Jake had had his suspicions ever since the wind started blowing in their favor whenever they were sailing with him. Still, he hadn't explained the source of his powers, or even the fact he had them, to anyone in the team, and the only pokémon aware of this were now in another world, probably going through their own struggles, and so his secret was safe for the time being.

Still, he tried not to worry too much, and instead focus on the mighty power nap he was going to get in a few minutes, already looking ahead to reaching up to the ceiling to pull down that cord, bring down the steps and make his way up to his domain in the attic. The house had two floors: a base one, a first floor with the bedrooms, and finally the attic, where Serge's room was. There was a pair of large windows on the right side of the entrance, two more on the right face of the house, and two glass doors that slid to the left and right to allow for quick movement between the inside and the outside of the house. The second floor had two windows for every room, and finally the roof, which was made of shingles, had two windows right beneath it for the attic and also an skylight, which had been built to be capable of opening and closing to Serge's request, making it easier for him to leave and come into the house whenever he pleased, always carrying the only key that could open it

The murmur of the crowds filling the commercial district were barely audible, and only the sound of the waves crashing against the stones underneath was heard, which brought peace of mind to the pokémon there. They were finally back home… They spent little time opening the front door and walking inside. The entrance to the inside was quickly overcrowded as they turned to the cupboards and coat hangers to their left, where they hung their bags and stored any garments they were wearing, which at the time was Eric's scarf. "Finally, home sweet…" Serge trudged over to the right, where the living room area was, and quickly let himself fall on one of the armchairs. "Home."

"Hey, come on don't take the best chair already!" Nox complained, heading for the couch. Their new home was much bigger than the last, and the living room had been expanded, now housing a small coffee table in the middle of a group of armchairs and something called a couch, which for them was like a bigger armchair. They'd kept the cushions from the other house, which were scattered in front of the fireplace in a haphazardly manner, left there from the previous evening.

"Oh no, you two don't get to sit around! We're taking a bath, because I won't have this home smelling of sweat!" Elly exclaimed, her motherly behaviour kicking in quite quickly. The prospect of taking a bath was one that no one was looking forward to, specially Nox and Lucy. However, none could say to the Eevee, and so by pairs or individually, they all had a turn in the new bathroom. It looked fairly similar to the one in the old house, but much bigger, and with several wooden buckets to make washing oneself far easier without using large amounts of the water or having the trapdoors open for far too long. The water came in through one end, built up inside the large tub in the centre, where the water never reached to be half a meter long, and then left through the other opening, which remained closed by yet another wooden trapdoor until it was opened, after which it flowed out outside.

Jake was the last one to take a bath, and by then the sun was long gone and the moon was rising. He made sure his fur was straight in the mirror and left the bathroom. It was situated underneath the stairs that lead to the second floor, and he knew someone was going up to their room because of their steps.

"...You know, Serge's right… I'm not exactly hungry right now, so I think I'm gonna head to bed early." He overheard Eric comment this to her mate, who was barely keeping herself awake. Zed and Lucy had already fallen fast asleep on the couch, and Jake took it upon himself to wake up the duo and at least recommend they went to their room to get some rest. Lucy took it much better than he anticipated, and she and Zed waved the others goodnight before heading upstairs. Jake soon followed them, leaving Eric and Elly in the living room, wishing them a good night's rest.

Once they were alone, the Riolu sat by Eevee, looking at the starry night through the window. The only light in the room was being provided by the lone candlestick on the table, but it would soon die out, and with it they'd be plunged into darkness. Before that happened, Eric got off the couch and faced Elly with a smile. "Hey, come on, hun… Let's go to bed and sleep there, ok?"

"Hmmmmmah?" The normal type had been seconds away from falling asleep, hadn't it been for his sudden interruption. "Ah, ah…" She yawned, which in turn made her feel sleepier. "I don't think I can move… my legs aren't working anymore too tired… just lemme sleep here…" She was drifting off again on the couch, but Eric would have none of it, specially after coming back from a successful mission like that. He leaned over her and gently grasped her body, then carried her bridal style over to the stairs, blowing out the light as he left the living room, using his aura senses to guide himself through the house. He couldn't see straight through walls, but he did see the trails of heat that the others had left behind: Serge had gone straight to his room in the attic after Nox went to his own, Zed and Lucy were probably already asleep in their room and Jake's room had light coming from underneath the door, telling the Riolu he was planning to stay up for longer to probably read.

He gently pushed the door at the end of the hallway and walked inside. The room was in darkness, and so he couldn't see anything. Not that he wanted to admire the furniture, specially in the dead of the night, and just headed straight for their bed, which had finally been made into a proper bed, like the ones they had enjoyed in the Kaiser's world, the mattress itself filled with Flaffy wool and the pillows with Altaria feathers. The wooden frame was rather simple however, as they'd found that many times the most expensive part of those beds were the frames. Alas, it wasn't of importance so late into the night, and quickly laid Elly on the bed and pulled back the sheets, then slipped her inside. The poor Eevee had already fallen asleep in his arms right around the time when they got to the stairs, but she'd managed to whisper the words "good night" before she did.

Eric made sure she didn't wake up as he himself slipped into bed and cuddled the Eevee, caressing her cheek and planting a kiss on her forehead as a way to wish her good night… and then closed his eyes and let himself fall asleep too.

* * *

Elly's eyes shot wide open as she gasped for air, trembling and drowning a gasp of horror in her throat. Her nightmares had returned, though this time they'd taken on a much more disturbing form. She remained still for a few seconds, the sliver of light coming in through the windows allowing her to see the furniture in their room: the chest, the bookcases, the desk and the chair… everything was in order, including the mess of letters and papers on the latter. What, or rather who, wasn't accounted for, was Eric, the spot beside her cold and covered with the sheets, a signal that he'd disappeared quite some time ago.

Where he was a mystery to hear, and her pounding headache, no doubt a product of her uneasy rest, dissuaded her from even attempting to communicate through their psychic bond. Even then, she was curious, if not slightly worried, and slipped out of bed after she shook off her drowsiness. She made a bee-line for the bathroom underneath, checking the other rooms in the hallway before she reached the stairs: all of them were closed, so it seemed everyone was still asleep. She washed herself quickly and went to the kitchen, Zed's pride and joy, and snatched a few berries from one of the bags on the top cupboards. She didn't check where she left the bag, even though she knew for sure Zed would dig into her if it fell out.

She didn't find any signs of the Riolu, however, asides from the bones of two peaches in the trash bag, and the fact his scarf and necklace were missing. So early in the morning, and considering where they'd been the previous day, there really was only one place he could've gone to: the graveyard. She grabbed her own necklace and headed out the door, the cool morning air blasting her face and waking her up for good. No wonder he'd grabbed his scarf. He did it this many times whenever they came back from dealing with magnets or other missions that the Riolu felt were important to him and the state of the world. And surely, ending another operation in Hoenn and seeing all those indoctrinated pokémon must've set off some alarms in his head.

There wasn't a soul wandering in the streets, and save for the occasional window opening or blind raising, it felt like a ghost town, quiet and calm, which gave her time to go over last night's dream. She'd once again dreamed of Skye and Blake, both of them together and staring off into a beautiful sunset, before he turned around to face her with a malicious smile. He transformed into a black mass and swallowed the sun and Skye, turning everything to black, and then she found herself facing the abomination they'd had to destroy in the distortion world. It felt like she was stuck in that place all over again: the air was thin and rancid, the lighting was poor and somber, the sounds of his claws, the explosions and the rocks and loose floating islands crashing against one another… it all felt so real that for a second she thought it wasn't a dream.

It all faded to black as the creature pounced again though, and remained like that for quite a long time… before a psychic blade sprung out from the darkness, a cloaked figure pouncing her and attempting to cut her head off, ever so relentless in its pursuit, so much so that for the first few months after their return nobody in the house had been able to sleep properly. The Pursuer, their latest foe, who'd vanished as mysteriously as he had appeared, and whose vile deeds had ended up causing grief not only to them, but to friends in another world. Whoever it was however, when she'd stared into those eyes… she could've sworn she recognized a hint of insanity and obsession in them.

While she ruminated, she made her way through main street and then out of town. The big gate that welcomed one to Treasure Town was long gone, and instead a simple sign in the crossroads ahead pointed one to it or somewhere in the region: to the left, grassy fields and hills spread as far as the eye could see, and to the right, the dirt and gravel road took one to a conglomerate of grey structures and stones. Treasure Town had never needed a dedicated graveyard until the attacks, and its construction had been a huge issue, as many were at odds on how they were going to honour the victims from Nymphe and Clades' attacks. Eventually, a brass rectangular monument with the emblem of the ETF was erected in town to remember their names, while the graveyard was built to bury their bodies and enshrine a particular warrior.

And it was him whom Eric was visiting that very morning.

It didn't take long to find him, kneeling in front of the grave and looking down at the slab, reading the words: "Eric Star, World Traveler and Immortal Hero. Your friends and companions." The date of his death was engraved on it too, even though his body was never recovered. Instead, in the coffin underneath one would only find his jacket and his staff, the only two things that had remained after giving up his very being to become a part of the time stream. Many questions remained about what this could've meant for Eric, and what would happen after the time stream was restored and the energy returned… but the human was dead, that was for sure.

( **Thoughts to a Friend - Xenoblade Chronicles** )

Elly approached her mate from behind, her paws crushing the withering leaves underneath her, and placed a paw on his shoulder gently. "How long has it been already? Three years?"

"Three years and four months…" She responded to his question with as much precision as she could. The Riolu let out a sigh, depositing the flowers he'd brought on the slab, covering the epitaph.

"I understand why you never forgave him for what he did… in the end, it was all his fault, and he never admitted it, which I will never forget either… but he gave us everything he had, including his own life, for our sake." He turned to face Elly. Neither of them were tearing up, having been there many times in the past and having shed their share of tears.

"I know, but… A lot of pokémon suffered and died because of it, including our friends, and many are still paying the price today. Remember what his last words were?" She asked. Even though Eric didn't remember them perfectly, he repeated the overall message.

"He was a man of many faces and sides, and he told us to remember him in whatever way we saw fit."

"You choose to honor him for what he did: a great sacrifice in order to save us all, and I understand and accept that… but you need to understand that he wasn't a saint either. Whether those good deeds outweigh his shortcomings… I think we're the only ones entitled to say it." The Riolu huffed and turned away as she said this, knowing where she was headed.

"He gave pokémon everywhere hope. His sacrifice and the message behind it made everyone move to make the world a better place…"

"But look at what's happening now: magnets, terrorists, radicals in Johto and Kanto, the Judges of Arceus… all of this is being brought about because of a partial lie Eric. It's not complete, but it's a lie nonetheless."

"But if we were to tell the truth now, what would happen?" He sat down on the leaves, careful enough to not hit any other grave, grabbing a leaf. "Would anyone believe us? Our reputation's been run into the ground because of impostors and our year long sabbatical, and I read the newspapers this morning: we didn't even make it to the front page!" He crushed what he held and threw it away. "Does nobody care anymore?! Was all that strife and sacrifice for nothing?!"

He was starting to doubt himself once again, she could feel it, and to be honest, she did so too: their actions had been forgotten far too quickly, but such was the natural order. But even then, that excuse didn't help cheer them up in the least. Her purpose for most of her life had been to end Blake and find the truth of what had happened to her family, and she'd found her answers, even if what she did find wasn't satisfactory, but now… Eric and her were both at a loss for a purpose outside of living the life they'd set out to make for themselves, and yet they felt they had to do so much more than just that. They wanted to change the world, little by bit, mission by mission… but that goal felt nigh unachievable with the way things were going.

"It looks really grim, I know… but listen, we need to stick to our guns. We did it once, I'm sure we can do it again in the near future and start spreading our message further. It may take years, but I'm sure we'll eventually find a way to make our voices be heard." She walked up to him and nuzzled his cheek. "And besides… we have each other, and that's a good enough purpose for me." Eric turned to look at her and smiled, agreeing with this last part, and they both hugged and shared a tender moment, then turned to face their friend's grave again.

"True… I guess I just shouldn't lose sight of what I have now… With everyone's help we'll make this world a better place so that those that come after can grow up safely." Their struggle wasn't over yet, in fact, they felt like the true battle still had to be fought, bringing them a lot of anxiety and stress.

"The world is a scary place, it's always been like that, even without Dark Eons, or Essences or radicals. When we met, we were just children that had no idea of what was ahead and how daunting of a task our objective was… But we've grown, and we know more. We'll do it." Her assurance inspired the Riolu, and in turn his confidence returned, along with his smile, which comforted the Eevee. They supported each other like this, and became whole through the other.

( **Stop the music** )

After collecting their thoughts and talking a bit more about their current state of affairs, the couple left the graveyard and headed back to town. By then, an hour had passed, and the sun was now much higher in the sky. When they got back, the streets were as busy as they'd been the day prior, though this time they came across more pokémon, specifically some guild members: Loudred and Sunflora walked past them at first, with bags filled with food and other necessities, and they hadn't noticed their presence until the Riolu called them.

"Huh?" Loudred was a bit deaf from his own loudness, but it wasn't bad enough for the Riolu behind them to go unheard. "Oh, hey, it's you two!" Sunflora turned around and gasped.

"Oh my gosh, what a coincidence! We were just about to head to your place after we got this stuff back the guild… we heard about your last mission, which was, like, totally cool, and wanted to congratulate you guys!"

Elly found her odd speech manners quite amusing, but she decided to keep quiet about it. "Awww, you didn't have to, we were just doing our job!"

"And a damn fine job at that! Serves those assholes right for trying to… to…" He drifted off, confused. "What were they doing again?"

Everyone shook their heads and sighed, though Eric was the first one to answer. "We don't exactly know for sure, but they were recruiting pokémon for something… by the way, nice to see you again, Loudred."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, same."

"You know, that sounds totally suspicious… are you sure it'll be fine?" Sunflora cut off the normal type as he opened his mouth to say something, though he nodded, as she'd voiced their thoughts.

"Hopefully with this the ETF will be convinced to send more guards to Hoenn, even if the region's in horrible shape… But I think we'll have to wait until they stop making cases against the Judges of Arceus for breaking several pokémon rights and committing war crimes." Eric's last comment made everyone's looks turn somber immediately.

"I can't believe those animals… did you read today's newspaper?" Sunflora inquired. Elly shook her head, but her mate had read it, and both he and Sunflora quickly filled her in. "Apparently, they say that they grabbed an Umbreon and her family in Unova and publicly flogged them, saying they were sympathizers with the Dark Eons… but they had literally just moved into the region."

"Even worse, they took them away for further questioning, and they've yet to hear about them…" Eric huffed. "No wonder so many magnets are popping up everywhere, they're the ones making pokémon afraid with their actions."

"But supposedly they act based on what the people want… which is some serious tauros shit if you ask me." Loudred was known for swearing quite a bit, but they decided to let him off the hook on this one: this topic was fairly controversial.

"Wish that was the case… but it's hard to see it since we live in a town where most pokémon know the truth of what happened, since we lived it in person. Everywhere else though, Blake, Team Uncario, Clades… they're just names to the which they pin the whole Time Freeze. And since Blake was an Umbreon, the leader of Uncario and the last Dark Eon, everyone's going crazy trying to find some other link to them just to prevent the Time Freeze from happening again."

"Which is absurd!" Elly shouted. This topic was especially infuriating to her, and everyone there had a good idea why. "Nobody… nobody would follow in that monster's footsteps unless they were insane." Her words were venomous, but she was having trouble voicing her thoughts, no doubt because of who she was referring to.

"But that's what it is nowadays… people are scared shitless about anyone who was primal before, racism against shiny pokémon has been increasing, dark types, Eevees and their evolutions are quite literally being hunted down, I don't care what name they're using to refer to it… The world's a fucked up place." It was strange to hear those words from Loudred's mouth, more so after they had had a long talk about this very same topic.

"But apparently it doesn't end there… they said that they're setting their sights on Sinnoh next, since this was the place where, and I quote, because they actually said this: 'The place where the cursed on left his legacy.'" Sunflora's quotation made everyone else skeptical.

"And there's also that: the verbose… what need is there for those guys to use those sentences? It's almost like they're trying to sound intimidating, like they've got a god backing them up."

"I mean, given that their names are, quite literally "The Judges of Arceus…" Sunflora's follow-up response promptly shut her boyfriend up, who simply blushed and twiddled with his thumbs.

"Well yeah, that's kinda obvious, now isn't it…"

Eric chuckled at the scene. "Whatever the case, god or not it doesn't justify their actions, and should they show their faces around here I'll make sure they get what they deserve."

"Better leave some for me though!" Loudred joined the Riolu in their oath for physical revenge, which Elly and Sunflora disagreed with.

"Men will be men, I guess… But anyways, it's just rumors, and I honestly doubt they'll come here if they know what's good for them. They won't find any support in this town, that's for damn sure!" Sunflora's words resonated with everyone, who nodded in agreement, and after excusing themselves, the two guildmembers left to wrap up the remainder of their morning duties.

Eric and Elly reached home a few minutes later, and already they could hear voices coming from inside, particularly that of a certain Pidgeot's, which boomed above the rest as he spouted a string of profanities and huffs of indignation. Eric rolled his eyes and opened the door, having to add his own weight behind the push because of an imperfection in the lock, and walked in, letting Elly close behind them. "What's going on now?"

The Riolu's question couldn't have come at a better time, as Serge approached him and shoved the newspaper in his face. "We didn't even fucking make front page, that's what's going on!" He expected the Riolu to be as angry as he was, but he was surprised when Eric told him he'd already read it.

"Page five, and it's just a small mention that "a" Team Star stopped a magnet for a terrorist organization in Hoenn… but the way it's written it's like a bunch of little kids could've done it or something." He passed the newspaper to Elly so she could read it, and sure enough, their exploits were barely even mentioned by a small vignette at the bottom right of the page. The newspapers had gotten pretty lively ever since all political relationships had been restored between the regions, and they got news from essentially anywhere. The system was simple: there was an editor in every major town in the region, which were almost all of them all things considered, where a psychic type with a crystal like the ones they had to communicate was listening in to what happened in other regions. When they picked up something worth the people's interest, they wrote it, then printed several papers with that text on it and sold it.

Treasure Town's own unique newspaper was called "Breath of Sea", with the added typo because of the lack of space on the front page, and as she inspected this she also noted the first piece of news in the front: The Judges of Arceus were planning to pay a visit to Sinnoh, after all, or so the page said. She was anything but thrilled to hear those madmen were coming to town, and she could only hope they didn't do something horrible. But then unspoken tension in the air and the fact that it was in everyone's mouth told her otherwise.

She tuned into the main conversation as she finished her musings, and Eric had successfully managed to calm down Serge. "We'll just have to work harder and really do something that leaves them in awe. In the grand scheme of things, shutting down a small scale operation in another region isn't as important as shutting down a whole organization. So when we eventually do so… then we'll be on the front page, and people will know who we really are!"

Serge listened to his words and was tempted to fight back, but eventually resigned and smiled. "Yeah… sure. Anyways, we're taking today off, right?"

"Yeah, of course we are! We spent like a full week in Hoenn locating those guys and making sure we knew all their patterns, you think we're gonna head out to do missions already?" A sigh of relief spread through the team, and even Jake took her words kindly, nodding and returning to his reading over on the couch.

"Well, if that's the case… I think I may prepare something for lunch today then… perhaps a Lasagna!" His words made everyone turn their heads and look at him, and the suggestion earned him unanimous cheer and praise. Elly and Lucy decided to help Zed with the dish, whilst Serge and Nox announced they were going out to check out what was going on with the guild members, which left Eric alone with nothing to do.

"Hey, you guys need some help with that?" Eric asked as he approached the kitchen, but of all pokémon Zed was the one to refuse his help.

"Ever heard of the saying, 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'? Well… I firmly stand by that." When he got to cooking, something no one else could beat him at, he transformed into a completely different pokémon. The Riolu rose his arms in a defensive stance and walked off.

"Don't worry, I won't that much input in this if that's what you're worried about. At least when it comes to everyone else's plates, expect some chili peppers in yours!" Lucy shouted the Riolu headed up the stairs to their room, having remembered something he should be doing.

"And if you do that I'll make sure you run five laps around Treasure Town tomorrow morning Lucy." He responded with a chuckle, knowing that five laps were basically nothing for her. The relationship between the two was a strange impasse: neither could tell when the other was joking and when they were serious about their insults. Still, that was the fun of it, so he responded with that and left for the top floor. To his annoyance, Serge had forgotten to fold the stairs leading up to his room in the attic, and had to do it himself. To his surprise, he found a lot of papers and ink scattered around the entrance, almost as if he'd been taken over by a sudden impulse to write, and a strange stench reached his nostrils as he approached… something he recognized but he couldn't quite put his paw on it.

Either way, he folded the wooden steps and rose the trapdoor, which snaps shut above him, a single cord hanging so that it could be brought down. He'd question the bird after he came back, there was something else that was eating away at him. He re-entered the room, which was the same way Elly had left it, which meant the bed was just a mess of sheets and the blinds were still down. He raised the blinds and fixed the bed as best he could, and once everything was in order, he went up to their chest and opened it. Slew himself had given it to them, containing several maps and old history books, things that no doubt made Elly go crazy: tales of strange cities buried under the sand, which turned to be more than just tales if Slew's new profession wasn't indicative of it, island soaring through the skies, and of course, his topic of study today: the seven artifacts.

Relics that the great heroes of bygone times had left behind after their deaths and that Eric was particularly interested in… After all, it was strange that they'd come across five of them so far: The Sanctuary of Rebirth, the Life Gem, the Cloak of Shadows, the Watch of Time and his object of study that day: the Book of Lies. And quite literally he was determined to study it, as he reached down to the bottom of that chest and pulled out the genuine one.

How it'd gotten to their paws, he had no idea, but Mick and Milly gifted them this book to congratulate them on their first successful mission almost three years ago. At first, there were words and illustrations in it, depicting and explaining pokémon characteristics, but… Once the time freeze began, the book was wiped clean all on its own, and a new emblem appeared on the cover. The same emblem the other Eric, Elly and himself had: that five-pointed star surrounded by ten emblems. He was mesmerized by it ever since, but his suspicions had peaked when the book began talking, or rather… it wrote. Words appeared on it, as if someone was writing messages for them from the past and manifesting on those pages, which lead him to believe the book was of extreme importance.

All of those elements were linked somehow, and they'd only found four fragments out of the ten Eric claimed he saw when the watch was broken. He believed that if he could unravel the mysteries behind the book that spoke on its own, he could discover the locations of the other pieces and the purpose of the Sanctuary, and of course, who had been the sender of those messages, which had saved their lives. He'd been reading and re-reading it, checking each and every single one of its pages after they'd returned… and still, nothing. The pages were blank, devoid of content, and writing on the paper just made the ink disappear, sinking into the paper and vanishing.

On a daily basis he snuck up to their room, opened the book and stared at it long, hoping that the answer to his pleas would manifest as spontaneously as it did in Slew's house… but time passed, and nothing manifested itself on the pages. Today, however, he was specially exhausted, and since there wasn't anything interesting to do, he put the book back in the chest and left the room, determined to go down to the living room and lay down on the carpet and sleep until dinner came.

What he never got to see however, was how the cover of the book changed from when he first picked it up to when he put it down: instead of the five pointed star, now a sphere, surrounded by blinding beams of purity, spread outward, appeared on the cover.

* * *

"For the last time Nox, I'm not taking you to the public house! And stop asking me for advice with girls! I did well in not letting you out of my sight in Hoenn, or who knows where you might be by now. You're too rash kiddo, too rash!" Serge rarely scolded the Houndour, but when he did it was usually the same thing: Nox was, once again, being too rash or too immature. Or both.

"Hey, no fair you get to do whatever you want and I don't get to have any fun! And besides, I want to get a girlfriend already, this is taking forever!"

"Why are you in such a hurry, kiddo? You're fifteen, just relaax! Everything will come your way eventually, unless you keep up that horrible attitude."

"What?! Dude, you behave the same way! You walk up to a girl and you say some random shit to her, she giggles and then you walk away for a bit!" The Houndour's shouts were no doubt attracting a lot of attention that the Pidgeot would rather not have on them.

"Well, then how about this: Do as I say, not as I do. I've got years of experience on this dude, you barely just begun. And besides, it's different for everyone, and you know what I look for relationships. Do you?" His words were meant to remind him of an incident concerning a Riolu and an Eevee that weren't Eric and Elly, and the Houndour caught it. "Besides, you won over the heart of a single female, maybe you should analyze what you did then and figure it out?"

"I… but that's not how you or my bro do it!" And there was the main issue, or at least that's what Pidgeot considered the problem to be… He didn't know this "brother" was, but he was anything but sure that it was this pokémon's fault that Nox was the way he was.

The Houndour, however, was torn, thinking on so many things at once, while nobody, not even Serge, who was basically like a second brother to him, could understand how he felt. "You always all say the same thing, that I'm just a kid, that it'll come with time…. but I wait and wait and I'm still as much of an idiot as I was before! I'm only asking for pointers and ideas, not for you to give me everything on a silver platter!"

"But that's the thing kiddo, these things can't be handed to you on a silver platter, nor can I give you advice! You think like all females are for you is an object, and that isn't the case!"

"Looks who's talking!" Those words came out of the fire type's mouth, his eyes widening when he realized what he'd said. The damage was already done however, and Serge narrowed his eyes and looked away. The Houndour's own pride didn't allow for him to apologize, and instead faced away from the Pidgeot. They didn't stay like this for too long however, as shortly after the Pidgeot sighed in defeat.

"Look… just trust me when I tell you that I'm doing all I can to help you kiddo. But you need to make up your mind and figure out what it is you like to begin with, because, let's be honest here… Emily was cute and all, but you and I know she wasn't made for you, and eventually that shit happened, and you realized how much of an idiot you'd been by chasing her tail… and vice versa, then it turned out you got a response from where you least expected."

"Yeah, I know… but neither you or my bro do it that way, so why? Why is it different for me? You seem happy enough with things the way they are!" His response didn't hurt Serge… instead he patted his head, giving him a smile that had a story behind it.

"There's a lot more to it than just that kiddo… And I don't want to sound like a broken record, but… when you grow up, you'll understand." That sentence was the point where Nox admitted defeat and decided to drop the topic for the time being. Meanwhile, Serge kept his eyes on the Houndour, feeling as if he was staring straight at a mirror of his younger self. However, soon the migraines kicked in and Serge bent down, grasping his head. "Aaaah fuuuck…"

"Headache?" The fire type inquired, earning a nod from the Pidgeot. "The apothecary should be right around the corner, come on." He waited until the flying type got up and accompanied him to the stand. It was a tent located near the west end of the main avenue, so it was fairly secluded. Even then, there was a steady flow of pokémon coming in and out of the tent, some with smoking pipes on their mouths.

Nox didn't really pay much attention to the smoke, being a fire type, but Serge took notice of it immediately and stood straight. His splitting headache had subsided, and was replaced by worry. The Houndour noticed this, but didn't pay mind to it, breathing in the smoke without realizing it. The Pidgeot coughed, uncomfortable, and once they got inside the tent… the stench increased by tenfold, now perceivable by Nox and making Serge gag on it.

"God damn… alright let's just get this over with…" Serge said and walked over to the Vileplume in the middle of the tent. It was rather small, and the Pidgeot had to bend his head down in order to not poke a hole through the fabric. They asked for various herbs, not only for his current headache but also other things Zed might need, and once they paid him Serge noticed the plants he had in ceramic pots at the back of the tent. He looked back at Nox, who had a dreamy look on his face, and quickly snapped him out of it. "Get out of the tent, I need to talk with him about some private stuff, ok?"

"Aww, what? But it smells so weird and nice in here."

"Just get out." He sounded serious, and the Houndour obeyed. He turned his glare to the poison type, then looked at the plants. "Where'd you get those?"

"Oh… a true connoisseur, eh? We received them the other day, from Johto. They're a new type of medicine that helps the mind…"

"Tauros shit." He cut him off and approached the Vileplume. "You may fool some poor saps and kids with that shit, but you won't trick me with it. And you won't trick any ETF officials either." The mention of the institution made all color drain from the smaller pokémon's face. "So listen here, you bastard: you get rid of it **safely** , and I won't tell anyone about what you were doing. I'm guessing you started selling this shit, and I aim to make sure that you stop now. You understand?" He nodded. "I will stop at **nothing** to ban you from selling your shit in this town if I catch more kids with that stuff, you understand me?!" He got really loud, and the Vileplume looked at him terrified, nodding repeatedly. "Good… then get out of my face." And with that, the Pidgeot left the tent with the bag of herbs.

Everyone outside was confused as to what the exchange had been, as the last part of the conversation was audible outside. "What happened in there?" Nox's question went unanswered for a few meters, though behind them they could hear groans and shouts of annoyance as the apothecary closed down.

"Don't worry about it." Was his response, once again frustrating the Houndour to no end. As they made their way down the main street and reached the main plaza, a crossroads with the monument to honor the dead during the Time Freeze and other attacks in the middle, something caught their eye. A congregation of pokémon had been called by a group of four robe wearing pokémon: a Gallade, a Haxorus, a Throh and an Omastar were gathering pokémon in the place, calling them by name.

"By the order of… those that we pronounce… further interrogation in relation to… decree of the Judges of Arceus's high priest, Tharmius…" They both turned to stare at the four pokémon and saw what was happening: they were gathering pokémon in the plaza and listing them off as subjects. That was spine chilling enough, since nobody wanted to step up and go to the centre of the plaza, since their reputation preceded them… but when they heard the next name their faces drained of all color.

"Miss Elizabeth Star!"

* * *

"So you're really going to use the surname Star?" Lucy asked her friend again as they cleaned up the rest of the counter. Their new kitchen was much bigger than the last, outfitted with an oven, pots and stoves for Zed to indulge himself in, a drain for them to wash fruits and other vegetables and then dispose of the water, an island from where pots, frying pans and other cooking utensils hung, right below it some jars containing spices or other ingredients with labels on them… Zed made sure to keep everything in order, he really liked to be able to find out where everything was without having to look through a pile of disarranged food.

Just as she'd predicted earlier that morning, the Zorua scolded her for leaving the berries right against the cabinet door, but she was quickly forgiven as he kept preparing the bechamel, something that required his full dedication. "Yeah, I don't think using my actual surname is a good idea… and besides, Eric and I are mates, and he doesn't have a surname, so we just borrowed the human's one, since he said Eric could use it… as weird as that is." Elly handed the Zorua one more jar of milk, which he poured slowly in his Zangoose form, tall enough to look at the pot.

"So then Team Star is just gonna be like, part of your surname too? That's… pretty weird."

"Actually…" Jake spoke up from the other corner of the room, shutting his book. "Many teams name themselves after the surname of their founder or with the initials of the team's components. However, I have never heard of the opposite happening. When will you be changing the records at the town hall?"

"Oh… we did that a few days ago before we left for Hoenn and just… forgot to tell you guys. It came up because of Lulu's surname."

At the mention of her nickname, the Shinx groaned and looked at Zed. "Zeeed! Why'd you have to call me that in front of everyone?!" The Zorua didn't answer her immediately. "Zeed! I'm talking to you!" Still no answer. She poked him with her tail, but the Zangoose remained completely still. "Zeeed! I swear I'll wrap you up in bandages, you dumb mummy!" That last mention brought back the Zorua to the physical realm, who stared at her wide eyed, the memories flooding back to him. Elly burst out in laughter, waking up Eric, who looked around in a panic.

"Oh my gosh I forgot about the dumb mummy thing!" She kept on chuckling and giggling, and soon Lucy joined her, the two females laughing whilst Zed looked at them in a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment, Eric shook his head and chuckled and Jake rose an eyebrow.

"Did something happen?" The ice type inquired, confusing the duo.

"Oh right, he wasn't here when that was a thing… see, Zed once got really hurt…"

"You mean Eric decked him in the face." Lucy bitterly corrected the Eevee's explanation, which annoyed the Riolu.

"Hey, I apologized for it! Plus, I thought the love of my life had ended her life **and** I let him punch me in the face later! What else do you want from me?!"

"I want you to get hit in the face by a Snorlax."

"Then you might as well jump on my head then!" The Shinx gasped and Elly just chuckled.

"Alright you two, let's stop right there… anyways, yeah Eric hit Zed during a fit of rage and they had to bandage his face. Lucy and Eric weren't exactly on good terms back then… and to be honest, they still aren't, and so she called Zed a dumb mummy because he let Eric hit him."

Jake listened to the retelling and nodded with every key aspect. Once he was done however, he faced the Shinx. "Only you would come up with such a comparison. You do realize that being wrapped up in bandages does not transform one into a mummy, correct? In fact, mummies are the ancient remains of a pokémon's body, which have been kept somewhat intact through embalming and mummification, which implies the drying of the skin, which leaves you with a furless creature with skin similar in color and complexion to that of a raisin." Jake's lengthy explanation made everyone fall silent.

"Yeah… Jake, thanks for dropping that explanation while I'm cooking." Meanwhile, his mate was busy gagging.

"Yuck… alright I'm not eating a raisin ever again… Can anything be more disgusting than that?"

"Well, perhaps you should know that their organs are pulled out of their bodies before embalming. A special mention to the brain, which is pulled out through the nostrils using forc-"

" **Oh my god Jake shut up! No no no!** " The Shinx covered her ears and eyes and cowered in a corner of the kitchen whilst Jake visibly winced.

"Yeah, lunch is ruined everyone." Meanwhile, Eric was just holding back laughter at the whole situation. There was something about seeing Lucy suffer like that struck his funny bone. Zed pulled the bechamel off the fire, as he deemed it ready, and put out the fire.

"Arceus that is just… horrible. Why'd you have to explain all of that while I'm making lunch?"

"Because I felt it was necessary. Lucy was in dire need for some clarification on the topic of mummification so she'd come up with better nicknames. Alas it seems she ca-" Their conversation was interrupted as Serge unlocked the front door and burst into the house, opening in one swing.

"Guys?! We have a problem!" His words made everyone turn to face him, especially Eric, who had been sleeping a few moments prior.

* * *

"As stated, all the pokémon in this list have been warned! Come with us for questioning on your involvement, or you shall be apprehended on the word of our leader, Thamius!" The Gallade's voice roared through Treasure Town, the crowd of pokémon that had gathered looking at him in a mixture of confusion and fear. Few of them knew what was happening and what it meant, but those that did were definitely scared out of witts, none of the mentioned pokémon on the list walking up.

"No one? Not a single dark type, Eevee or eeveelution?" He asked again, and even though there were some dark types in the crowd, no one took a step forward. He scanned the crowds… and his eyes stopped on a Poochyena, who had approached thinking something else was happening. The Gallade pointed at him menacingly. "Him." The Haxorus and the Omastar turned to face the young one, and charged for the kid. The crowd split and screamed as the pokémon scattered, but the Poochyena was too scared to move, and was forcefully grabbed by the Haxorus, the Omastar looking around and ordering that they remained still.

"Make one move and you shall be apprehended too!" Nobody knew what to do: they weren't welcome there, but they were officials, a sort of police on the same level as explorers, and attacking them would mean there would be grounds for them to be imprisoned in turn. The Poocyhena screamed and thrashed, terrified as he was brought up to the Gallade. His mother, a Mightyena, screamed his name as she tried to reach him, but the crowds were blocking her for her own good, knowing that if she tried to do anything rash he'd be taken away.

The psychic type inspected the quivering pokémon before him. "Why are you afraid, child?" He kept glancing over him as he murmured to the small dark type. "You do not have something to hide, do you? Children like you are normally pure of soul… and yet you share the type with the cursed ones. Our records have said that a majority of the Dark Eons were dark types… your mother wouldn't happen to be one, would she?" His inquiry was met only by a frightened whimper and tears, as he was too scared to talk back to the inquisitor.

Gallade smiled. "If you remain silent you are impeding our lord Arceus' work! Our creator has enlightened us to rid this world of the dangers of the last Dark Eons, but you are trying to conceal them!" He turned to the crowd and grabbed the Poochyena's head. "We know you're hiding them here! This town was assaulted and destroyed by Blake's forces, and yet you remain silent?! Not a single notice has been sent to us about the dark one's sympathizers?! You surely hide something! We are the justice our lord has come to impart on this world! We are not your enemies, we're your protectors and closest allies!" He faced the Poochyena, raising his other hand. "And if you hide something from us… it means you're a sympathizer!" His hand shot back down and the Mightyena screamed at the top of her lungs…

"Leave him alone!" The words, carried by a strong gust of wind, stopped the Gallade on his tracks, and the crowd parted and allowed him to see who'd dared to defy him: a female Eevee with sky blue eyes, standing besides a Riolu and five other pokémon. But they were all inconsequential to him, he was more focused on the Eevee.

"Ah, as I predicted, you couldn't hide in the shadows while your followers were publicly punished… But it's far too late, both he and you will be judged by our lord's word!" The two inquisitors from before moved towards Elly… but Eric stepped in the way and rose his paw.

"Touch a hair of her fur, and you will **not** leave this town intact." Aura spread through his arms. "That's a promise." The Gallade's eyes widened, letting the Poochyena go, whose mother immediately ran over and covered with her body, hell bent on protecting him from further harm.

"You… a Riolu? Here? How can you betray us like this, brother?"

"Brother? I'd have to be mad to be a member of your brotherhood, you madman. You and the rest of you so called Judges are not welcome in this town or region!" Eric was absolutely livid, but his words didn't quite intimidate the Gallade.

"That's what we're always told… but eventually, you all see eye to eye with us after we expose the evils that lie in wait near your homes! So why do you defend the Eevee?!"

"For your information… she isn't just any Eevee, she's my mate! I am Eric Star, and she is Elizabeth Star, the pokémon you were looking for just now. We're the leaders of the real Team Star, and we have no need for you or your organization in this town!" The inquisitors were taken aback by this revelation, and they grouped up again, murmuring and whispering to each other.

"Look at them… they aren't used to having actual important pokémon stand up to their shit.." Serge's observation seemed to be true, since they talked in private for a few minutes before turning to the team again.

"And if you have doubts about who we are, you can ask the local guild, inspect our badges or I can show you this." Eric showed them the mark on the back of his arm, which seemed to surprise the Judges even more. "Satisfied?"

The Gallade's smile was long gone, instead replaced by a stern gaze. "You have made a grave mistake by confronting us, Riolu… You may very well be the ones that defeated the accursed one, but you've clearly fallen from grace! Surely you jest when you defend that Eevee as your mate?!"

"Got a problem with it?!" It was Elly's turn to speak up, not intimidated in the slightest by these pokémon.

"Watch your tongue, y-"

"No, pal, I think you misunderstood us…" Serge took a step forward, the gigantic Pidgeot overshadowing even the Gallade. "So let me put it simple, short terms so you understand, ok? Here we go: get the fuck out of our town. Nobody, and I do mean, **nobody** wants to see your racist mugs in town, especially when you're talking to the pokémon that saved it!" His words were met with praise and cheers, which even if they elicited growls of anger and deadly glares from the robed pokémon, it didn't persuade them anymore. Their robes, white as snow, with golden traces making out two semicircles with two spikes near the ends pointing outwards that wrapped around the cloak under their arms, were suddenly sullied as a ball of mud flew at them from behind, impacting against the Gallade's, the offender soon hiding behind the crowd.

"You little…" His unfinished threat was interrupted by the crowd's jeers, who had taken side with Team Star, who looked down at the inquisitors. The psychic type glared at the Eevee. "You… you control all of these poor pokémon… this won't be the last time you hear of us. We'll find out your evil misdeeds and take you to Cunabula…"

"Actually, no you won't be dragging me anywhere." She cut him off once more. "I've read about what you lot do: you go somewhere, you blame a pokémon at random, you try to take them away, and if that fails you come back a few days later with all your friends and take them whether they like it or not. And then, surprise surprise! They owe up to crimes they didn't know they committed! Well, guess what, I'm going there **myself** , so that way I can not only clear my name, but make sure you're all put where you belong: in prison!" Her speech stirred the crowds and got them to scream, edging her onward whilst the judges seemed to exchange nervous glances.

"You… lunatic! It will be your demise!"

"If anything…" Jake stepped forward, rubbing the bridge of his nose, smiling cockily. "It will be your demise. We have some powerful contacts, and as we said… we're Team Star. What better way to prove who we are than to expose a group such as yours?"

"Either way, one thing is certain: you messed with the wrong sort when you came here." Eric concluded, enraging the Gallade and making the pokémon around them cheer more…

" **Silence**!" The shout didn't come from Team Star, or the Judges of Arceus, or the crowds… it came from a pink Pokémon that limped his way towards the plaza, accompanied by a large assortment of pokémon: a Chatot, a Croagunk, a Bidoof and also Sunflora and Loudred. About half of the guildmembers had appeared, and Wigglytuff's appearance was awe inspiring: whilst not as tall as Serge, he was still quite big and intimidating, even for the fluffy pink fur he had. "Everyone, calm down, please…" He called for order, his voice transitioning from the deadly serious to a more relaxed and friendly tone, much more familiar to everyone there.

"And you… I guess you're the Mayor of Treasure Town?" The Gallade inquired. "Because otherwise I'm afraid you still have no authority."

"The previously elected mayor of Treasure Town recently passed away from old age, and a new election was held. Because there are no rules against it, I presented myself as candidate and won by landslide… ergo I am the town's mayor and the leader of the guild, and as such I doubly order you to leave this town." Wigglytuff's sentence was heavy, and felt like a gavel that ended a trial.

However, the judges still had something up their sleeves, as they bowed, concealing smiles. "If that is the case… then leave we shall… But first two things: for starters, we leave only due to your powers as the lawyer of this town, not because of your authority as a guild leader."

Chatot, who could understand between the lines of what they were saying, stepped up, looking livid. "What do you mean by that?! Guildmasters and explorers in general have as much authority as the local police!"

"But I'm afraid they do not hold a candle to us."

"How so? Why is it that you have so much power that surpasses that of the ETF?"

"Because just like the ETF, we responded to the people's call. The people needed us, and so we have decided step forward and make sure they don't go unheard. We have been approved by the Cunabular government too." This last bit of news came as a surprise to everyone.

"Why you scumbag… How'd you guys even-" This time Lucy was the one to step forward, but she was silenced immediately.

"As I said, we only carry out the will of the people. If the will of the people in this town is for us to leave, then we shall do so. Besides…" Once again their gazes fell on Elly, who defied them with her eyes. "She agreed to come on her own terms, and for this reason we have, in a way, succeeded in our mission." They bowed and threw their hoods again before lining up, hiding their hands in their sleeves and walking off in serene silence. The jeers had long stopped after Wigglytuff appeared, and the guild members told them to return to their daily activities, whilst the Guildmaster and his right hand pokémon approached the team.

"You were lucky Bidoof saw the commotion. Had you continued this line of questioning I don't think things would've ended well for you." Wigglytuff mentioned as he walked up to the team, his eyes focusing on Elly. "Will you be alright?"

"Yeah, just got a little heated it's all… This whole Judges of Arceus issue is fairly personal to me."

"Yes, we saw that… But goodness, lying to them straight to their faces about going to Cunabula? You must have some guts!" Chatot's praise of her courage didn't fall on deaf ears, but the Eevee was surely confused when he said this.

"Ummm... I wasn't lying about that, Chatot… I have the intention of going to Cunabula and confront them." The bird's beak touched the floor, while the rest of the pokémon there were unfazed by this reveal.

"Are you absolutely sure about this? I mean… you're going to charge straight into the hornet's nest." Eric placed a paw on her shoulder as he said this, trying to confront her and convince her to think over this.

"No, I've made up my mind. I'd been thinking about doing for a long time now, ever since those guys had started messing pokémon's lives wherever they went with the pretext that they're doing their lord's work and obeying the people's needs… those are just a bunch of lies, and I intend to expose them for what they really are." To everyone, it sounded like she was trying to convince not only them, but also herself.

"A noble cause, but alas… remember, we are going up against an organization that does in fact have the approval of the government and is supported by donations from devoted their devoted followers… and also whatever they exhort and rob from the pokémon they've apprehended." Once again, Jake took it upon himself to relay the cold hard facts to the rest of the team. Still, she wasn't deterred, and only reaffirmed she was going to go.

"Well… you know that wherever you go, I'll follow." Eric patted her head and held her paw when she sat down and extended it to him, holding it within his paws. Zed nodded and said the same, with Lucy rolling her eyes at their promises.

"Well, I guess I'll have to go if my best friend and my mate want to go…"

"And since we follow a democratic order where we vote to decide what it is we do, and four out of seven pokémon in the team have agreed, we shall all be leaving for Cunabula." The Sneasel approached the group, and only left Serge and Nox outside.

The Pidgeot sighed and shook his head, smiling. "I never agreed to this, but… count me in."

"Oh come on guys, don't put me in a tight spot like this!" Nox's complaint made everyone laugh, but eventually he also joined them.

"So… you really are going to up against them?" Loudred asked, quite surprised that this situation had taken such a sudden turn of events. His question was answered with nods, and Wigglytuff took a step forward.

"If that is the case, then let me give you two things: advice, and peace of mind. The former is simple: do not go too over your heads. You may be Team Star, but it has been three years since the defeat of Blake. Your achievements are known worldwide, but there are other news that have much more importance and relevance as we speak. And of course, do not let your guard down: your opponents are an organization supported by law, but it goes without saying that they may resort to filthy tactics. Make sure you aren't caught unaware." The guild master's advice was, as always, welcomed. "And as for peace of mind, we will make sure that all missions that you would've normally accepted are taken care of."

"Besides, it's about time we get some real work! Things have been terribly dull ever since you guys returned and decided to take up every single interesting mission! Chatot here was complaining too, that we were going to get lazy!" Loudred's big mouth once again became the source of both laughter and anger, as Chatot turned to him and started screaming.

"I did no such thing! I will not tolerate your lies in front of our celebrated team! I demand you speak the truth, you big mouthed…" And they two went on and one for quite a while, drawing smiles and laughter from their friends. In the midst of the commotion however, Bidoof still remained serious, and as he walked up to Eric and Elly he voiced his worries.

"You know… call me crazy, but I've got a real bad feeling about this, yup yup… Real bad feeling."

"What do you mean?" Eric inquired.

"I mean… those folks always announce themselves wherever they go and are sending letters to their next targets… and Elly here was on their list, so shouldn't you have received some letters prior?" His words rang true with the duo, who looked at eachother in confusion, though Eric's gaze trembled for a second in front of her mate's, barely perceptible.

"Eric?"

"I… was the first to leave early today, so I didn't check the mail… maybe that could've warned us prior." Having confessed to his crime, Elly relaxed, thinking the offense had been worse. After this quick exchange they rejoined their companions.

Unbeknownst to anyone however, the first string of a wicked web of lies had just been woven around them, and one of their hearts felt the weight of betrayal strangling them from that point onward.

* * *

The robed pokémon silently made their way back to the boat they'd arrived on. Publicly humiliated and kicked out of that town… this would not stand. The Gallade, the one that lead them, was especially infuriated by Team Star's involvement, but his hatred spread to the entirety of the town. "Fools… their minds have been consumed already… we will have to incarcerate and interrogate her, draw out the truth and…"

"You won't get anything." A voice suddenly interrupted his train of thought. He'd been speaking to himself, but didn't expect anyone to have been paying attention to whoever might be listening to his musings. "You're right: this town is corrupt, rotten to the core, and have been fooled through and through by all those so called protectors… specially Team Star."

"What do you want, child?" The Haxorus' voice was raspy and grave, but the speaker didn't budge, in fact, Gallade took a step forward and held back Haxorus from saying anything else with an open hand.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant just that: they're all idiots, they can see the truth behind all those guild members and exploration teams… they're all liars! They can't save a single pokémon, even if they tried! But the worst part… is that they have some huge skeletons in their closets, specially that Eevee."

The psychic type's eyes widened at this, but the Haxorus was skeptical. "What do you know that we don't?"

"Take me to your leader… and you'll know."

* * *

Far away from Treasure Town, in a completely different region, dawn came, light bathing the face of a tall manor. Banners with strange exotic symbols waved in the wind, and just above it the sliding doors of a spacious room were wide open, the sunbeams revealing a folding screen with beautiful drawings of a valley between tall green mountains, a river flowing through it, an oriental village erected in the middle as cherry blossom petals flooded in from the right. Behind it, a pokémon bathed and perfumed itself, walking out from behind the screen and looking off at the sun.

They breathed in, closing their eyes and reminding themselves of why did they were taking up such a mission… then walked over to the other end of the room. Enshrined in the far right end, with a candle of science slowly burning, was a set of armour, much too big for the pokémon observing it. Instead, they grabbed the arm pieces, covering the outer part of their arms and sat in front of the armor, praying. After this, they approached a cupboard and opened the top drawer, pulling out a cloak out and throwing it over their body, making sure it was properly adjusted so as to conceal their identity, then observed the drawing of their next target.

A Pidgeot, the description of which stated was two meters high and with green, orange and blue feathers.


	3. Chapter 1 - Cunabula

**And we're back for another exciting episode of Web of Lies! (Some stuff came up and I couldn't work on the chapter as much as I could, hence why it came out a few days later, but I think it'll be alright!) Anyways, this chapter has a lot of stuff in it too, so you guys better pay attention!**

 **Anyways, now onto the reviews:**

 **First of all, Luchux was the first one to review in this chapter, and your review is pretty short, but the answer is pretty interesting. While there must be some parallels between the two, the main source of inspiration for their methodology and beliefs was the Spanish Inquisition. The Klu Klux Klan is still one of the best example of religious fanaticism as of recent, but the Judges of Arceus are different, and soon you'll see why.**

 **Next up would be my trusted friend, WesternFail! And you bet it's good to be back, you better friggin' believe it! But Team Star isn't having such a great return, now are they? Things are definitely different, this is true, and regions like Hoenn certainly don't make the picture any better. However, it isn't all bad, there are still places where pokémon conserve their usual life style, mostly in Sinnoh.**

 **You are doing well paying attention to what the Drapion in saying, though take it with a grain of salt. If you've read Shackles of Servitude, then you know exactly who is at the other side of the story in this case, and you truly start wondering who is the bad one in this situation. Still, it does not justify the lies nor the violence.**

 **Even though the Human Eric (Or Heric) has died, his presence still lingers in this world… perhaps for better, or maybe for worst. We shall see.**

 **And come on, I can't kill Serge. He's the Tyrion of this fic: you just don't kill them. (yet at least).**

 **And we've only just started Hjof, we haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg.**

 **And finally, my partner Ray. I know just how difficult these elements and concepts in fics are for you, but still, there are things that must be said. You can't consider that a wound that isn't stitched back together properly won't end up being infected, right? Because of their haste during AHR and their disappearance in FotW, the wound has festered. The Judges of Arceus, as they are now, are a byproduct of that.**

 **Anyways, I don't intend to sound somber, because there's no reason be like that! So let's enjoy this next chapter, alright? Hope you enjoy it!**

 _ **Chapter 1**_

 **Cunabula**

 _ **No matter where they come from, they walk the same path.**_

Dawn had just broken, but almost all of Team Star was already waiting outside, wearing some clothes for the cold thanks to Elly, who'd woven everyone something during her spare time: Eric now had an additional winter cap and gloves, and of course his signature scarf, and was feeling quite warm.

Meanwhile, everyone but Jake seemed to envy the Riolu. "I swear to Arceus… why don't I have cloves for myself!? My paw pads are freezing!" Nox complained, only wearing a winter hat and trying his hardest to warm himself by letting tiny embers spark from his paws and mouth. Serge, who had a striped scarf with the colours of his feathers, tried to stick close to him, shivering uncontrollably.

"This wouldn't be happening if we weren't **waiting on someone!** So much for being the fastest pokémon alive if you take forever to dress up!" The Pidgeot's taunts were only responded by grunts and groans from inside, and Zed was the first to walk out, only wearing a scarf as his fur was thick enough to keep him protected for the most part, whilst Lucy took a bit longer. She and Elly wore matching winter hats: black, yellow and blue stripes.

"Shut up! This wouldn't have happened if we didn't put away all the clothes to the bottom of the drawers!" She came out of the house fuming, adjusting the hat on her head.

"Hey, don't look at me. Your drawer is your responsibility." Elly quickly defended herself, predicting her friend's glare.

"Yeah yeah… but I swear, it's like it grew a pair of legs and got itself to the bottom. It was stuck between the drawers and fell down to Jake's." At the mention of this, the Sneasel grew alarmed. "Don't worry, we didn't touch anything! We just nabbed the hat and left it as it was… anyways, are we ready? This cold's gonna get to me, and I've got the sea to deal with after this shit…"

"Oh stop complaining already Lucy, sun's not even up." Eric's remark was answered by a snarl, but he didn't continue that conversation and tried to remember if they'd done all their preparations. "Well… yeah I think we're done… Oh wait, the mail!" His words earned a collective groan from the group.

"Come on, really?!"

"For the love of…"

"I thought you said you'd already checked it?" Elly's inquisitive tone told him not even she was happy.

"I know, I know… I forgot alright? Let's just…" He quickly walked over to the door and opened the box from the inside, pulling out a bunch of letters. He quickly skimmed through the senders… and stopped at the last two, letting out a laugh.

"What? What happened?"

"Of all times…" He showed her the letter: it had been sent by the Judges of Arceus, requesting her assistance in Cunabula. "What a bunch of assholes." The situation did bring smiles to their faces, if anything because of the irony of it all. The second one however, made him go a bit more serious. "Huh… this one's for you, Lucy."

The Shinx rose an eyebrow and grabbed the letter with her maw, opening it with her tail and unfolding it… she read it pretty quickly, but she remained absolutely silent and still, her full attention absorbed by that piece of paper. Once she was done however, she sighed and closed her eyes, thinking for a bit, before a bitter chuckle escaèd her throat and crumpled up the letter. "I swear to Arceus… These people just have a talent to be a pain in the ass."

"Who?" Since it didn't seem to be too important, Eric shrugged and looked the house's door, making sure that Jake, Elly and himself were carrying the copies before walking off.

"Oh, just those fans writing the weird letters that Nox loves oh so much… this time they paired me and Elly up." The Eevee blushed and looked at her friend.

"Wait, really?! I need to read this…"

"Yeah same here…" She and her mate were interested in the text for obvious reasons, but Lucy turned both of them down.

"Atatata! No peeking! I'm destroying this as soon as we're out on sea! I swear, the nerve of you people! I can't risk Nox getting his paws this."

"As if! You're the least sexy pokémon in the team! Even Jake has more charm than you do!" Everyone but the aforementioned pokémon and the Shinx hissed and "Ooooh'd" at the insult.

"Damn… that's cold." Surprisingly enough, Serge's comment was what sparked the Sneasel's fury.

"Alright, that was completely unnecessary, mind you." The Pidgeot faced the ice type and asked what the problem was, and so the two got wrapped up in another argument. With the door locked and with Lucy stashing away the letter in her bag, the group set off for the docks. It was extremely early, and the morning fog coated everything, bringing Jake some memories he would rather forget, ending the argument between Serge and himself rather swiftly.

Toothache was waiting for them, as they'd arranged, though this time he had more reasons to go to Johto than just his immeasurable debt to Team Star. "We be carryin' some merchandise today. Excuse the mess." Sure enough, they were carrying berries and spices exclusives from Sinnoh, and probably for some merchants in Flumerc Ars. Once they were all aboard, the Golduck lifted the plank, placed it on the floor and lowered the sails. Team Star helped him in any way they could, but the pokémon was already used to working alone on those projects. Whilst everyone was busy and the ship started moving however… Lucy sneakily looked overboard, resisting the nausea and tossed the paper into the sea. As the paper became soaked, the ink vanished and the message was lost to the great sea, the last legible word was "father."

* * *

The Judges of Arceus remained immobile when their newest contributor left the room. There were no windows, and only the dim light of a candle allowed them to see what was inside: a simple armchair with red velvet opposite of a desk, on top of which were many papers and reports, and at the other side a much more luxurious armchair, where a figure sat. Behind them, yet another shape waited in the shadows, seemingly listening from the corner.

"So… if the information we just obtained is to be trusted, then this means we've finally found what we were looking for." The shape laid back on his chair, holding their head with a hand and staring off at the painted landscape to the left, over a cupboard: grassy fields overseeing a great chasm, a river flowing down in a waterfall to the bottom, where a lush, green and life filled valley awaited.

"We have yet to corroborate this of course… but we do know that they will not give up this information easily, so it will be difficult to prove."

"Indeed…" They looked back at their subordinates. "But let us consider that what they said is true… and the fact that they're coming here means we have the perfect chance."

"Sir, are you suggesting we kill her?" The Gallade tensed up at the idea, as their leader seemed to be considering it. Tharmius then finally leaned forward, the light showing the features of a Kommo-o, his scales unseen underneath the complicated robe he wore, and yet one could see the bulges underneath it as he moved around.

"No… but I have thought of a way to kill two birds with one stone, as they say." A wicked smile spread across his face and glanced at the landscape again…

* * *

"So… does anyone else think we didn't spend nearly enough time in Flumerc Ars?" Elly inquired as they kept walking on the dirt path through Kanto. They'd arrived at the region two days prior, spent half of the first day in the aforementioned city and had been travelling the rest of the time.

"Indeed… the white buildings were ancient, and yet their architecture is remarkable to the point most have stood to this day without much need to rebuild sections. Those white domes and blue frames just fit the sea perfectly too, in my opinion, the streets were nicely kept… and I do not know if any noticed the presence of those iron grates on the sides of the streets."

"Oh, oh, I did!" Lucy called the Sneasel as he said this. "What are they for?"

"A sewer system. A system of tunnels dug underneath the earth that connect to every building through the which waste is disposed, mostly what is produced in the bathroom. It is very much sanitary, and projects to create one for Treasure Town have been put into motions, albeit the progress is slow because of a lack of personnel."

"Oooooh, so that's what you were talking about last reunion!" Eric chimed in as the Sneasel's words brought back memories of said reunion. "Well, if that's the case I might put my vote towards it again should it be brought up. The streets were very well kept."

"Yeah, and also just the sheer size of the city… how big was it again?" Zed asked, feeling a little worn out because of the pace they were keeping up.

"Around a kilometre. Pretty big relatively speaking, and it was a joy to see from the sky: the older buildings near the centre were a lot lower and irregular, and the further away you started to see the same shapes being repeated and stuff…" Serge seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood. "Finally, I'm so excited to leave Sinnoh for a bit and go back to adventuring… this is the life man! Even the air feels different here!" He breathed in, making the rest of his friends chuckle, though he wasn't entirely wrong: there was something novel about being in a land you'd never gone to before, and every sight was exciting and new. Forest and trees with shapes and scents they'd never experienced, greener hills under the overcast sky above, a contrast to Sinnoh's drier expanses and clear skies.

"The only thing I don't like is that it looks like it's going to start raining any second… like, it's been like this for quite some time." Of course, Nox was the only one concerned about the rain, or at the least the only one voicing his worries. Neither Elly nor Zed were looking forward to getting their fur wet.

"Wouldn't surprise me… we just started November, so let's just hope we get to Cunabula before that happens." Eric looked around, spotting yet another carriage not too far away from them. They'd walked by one a few minutes ago, and again they saw another, and right in front of it three more. "Looks like a convoy…"

"We must be getting close then. Perhaps after he gets over that hill we shall be able to see the city?"

"Well, I'm not gonna be left behind! Last one there is Muk!" Lucy sped by the Sneasel after he'd made his observation and earned a groan of annoyance from him.

Nox was the only one who fell to the taunt, and took off after Lucy, determined to try and beat her. And after him was Serge, who shouted at the two to not go out of sight. Everyone else eventually hastened their step, excited to see what lay ahead… and finally, as they caught up to that convoy and looked over the hill, they could see it. The capital of Kanto, cultural and political centre of the current world and without a doubt most powerful city in the known land: Cunabula.

It was a sight to behold too. Unlike any other city in the world, Cunabula was incredibly ancient, having been built at the beginning of the Checkered Age, back to where records of history are vague. Said to have been built amidst the brutal clash of the Aura Knights and Dark Eons, the city was a marvel architecturally speaking. After all, it had been built over a massive chasm in the earth and the valley underneath. A large pillar of stone had been erected from the centre of it, and rose up to the sea's level, and from there the rest of the city had been built, sustained by the pillar itself and stone arcs which acted as both supports and sewers to dispose of waste and keep it from falling to the valley underneath.

The city's borders were marked by tall stone pillars, acting as some sort of massive fence that defined the crescent moon shape of the city itself. On top of each pillar was a pyre, guarding posts between them. They could see tiny shapes, the size of ants, moving back and forth on them, no doubt the Cunabular Guard, protecting the city from the evils of the outside world. Large, tall buildings rose in the city itself, each of them unique in some way, be it the shape, the colours, the architecture… even the balconies themselves were unique, as they'd later see. But what definitely stood out among all else was the castle.

More of a political institution than a monarchy, the castle had been kept for various reasons, though mainly because of how important it was culturally speaking: millennia of history were stored away deep in those halls in the form of paintings, books and sculptures, and while the structure was rather simple, there was a part that they could not see from that angle. From the main chambers of the castle came out a stone bridge, which led to a platform with a building which had once been used as the chapel. With the new government, it had been repurposed as the Congress, where all of the elected pokémon from each of the cities in the world would come to represent their people and their region.

The stone platform on the which Cunabula had been built was, as said prior, in the shape of a crescent moon, connected to land by the stone arcs and the main bridge, which was overcrowded with caravans and pokémon, whilst the castle was built in the deepest part of the city, it wasn't perfectly centered over the chasm, but the Chapel was right above the Lake of Origins. The valley underneath was inaccessible, with guards positioned on the sides of the chasm, and any kind of entry to the beautiful gardens underneath could be punished with fines of astronomical amounts.

The earth underneath, which they only saw as they approached the chasm, was a lush, green vibrant forest, full of life no matter where one looked: the waterfall broke at the other end, a rainbow barely visible over it as the water crashed down on the ground and flowed to the lake. Around it, trees of various sizes had grown over years, with the exception of the front part of the lake, where one could see a large field of roses of various colours. Though hard to spot from such a long distance, one with good eyes could appreciate hints of red, yellow, white, purple… It was difficult not to stay behind and gaze, and many pokémon along the bridge were doing just that, even if they were ordered to hurry and move along by the guards stationed on it.

"Wow… this place is… stunning." Eric's observation really felt short of the beauty around them, but he was so surprised he was at a loss for words. In fact, the only ones who weren't surprised were Serge and Jake, who'd been to Cunabula before on various endeavours.

"Alright people, let's not get sidetracked here… we came to Cunabula for one reason and one reason only, and it wasn't sightseeing." Elly assumed control, since her mate was currently distracted gazing at the scenery.

"Yeah, but we can surely look around for a bit after we're done, right? Right?" Lucy's plea was supported by Nox and Zed, and even Eric joined in. The Eevee rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Sure… but first, let's just get inside." She was on a mission, and nothing was going to stop her from doing what she thought was right. The group made their way across the bridge, and already they noticed just how different things were there. For starters, every single last pokémon around them wore clothes. Simple garments, brownish, beige colors that at least showed some acquisitive power, to pompous and oversaturated dresses, colorful as the valleys below, made of delicate silk. However, a constant was that, no matter what it was, be it clothes that seemed to be made out of potato sacks or luxurious seamwork, they all wore something.

Which in turn made the group stick out like a sore thumb among that sea of clothing. Everyone was glancing at them, whispers of indecency and laughter reaching their ears, which made them extremely uncomfortable as they approached the first city checkpoint. It was in the middle of the bridge, and was formed by guards that inspected and checked the pokémon coming in and out of the city, be it in carriages or on foot.

Serge leaned closer to Jake to whisper in his ear."Why all the security? Don't remember all of this from last time I came here…"

"It is merely a preventive measure to keep undesirables from infiltrating the city."

"Too bad the undesirable ones are already IN the city…" Serge responded as he went back to his spot. The duo was already up to speed with Cunabular customs, and among the latest fads was the idea that wearing clothes was a sign of power and culture, as opposed to what everyone else did normally, which was to not wear them.

" _Is this what everyone talked about regarding the clothing thing?_ " Since they were surrounded and didn't want anyone to listen in to their conversation, Elly decided to ask through their psychic link.

" _Indeed… Cunabula is a powerful city, capital of culture… and as such, it's inhabitants suffer from a severe case of pride and elitism._ "

" _So in other words, they're dicks to absolutely everyone that doesn't meet their standards._ " Nox cut in to summarize the Sneasel's explanation. The others chuckled, though it wasn't really a laughing matter, as they were the object of those pokémon's amusement. As they came up to the checkpoint however, they noticed a mob building up in front of two of the guards.

"What's going on over there?" They all ran with Elly's question, pushing and shifting through the mob until they were in the front. Slowly, but surely, they started to hear voices and shouts coming from the checkpoint itself…

"What do you mean that I cannot enter the city? This is preposterous! A violation of my rights! Why… Why this is horrible! Do you see, my good people, the way a respectable citizen like myself is treated?" The voice sounded male, and yet the accent was strange, and not even Serge could place it. As they came to the front, the pokémon speaking was revealed: a Roselia with no flowers around his wrists walked back and forth, a simple cloak over his body, probably to protect him from rain.

"Respectable? You look barely decent in those drapes of yours!" The guards, bipedal pokémon clad in heavy armor and a Serperior with plates over specific segments laughed at his words. The Roselia stood still and clenched his fist, looking extremely angry.

"Drapes?! I'll mind you sir that I am wearing this cloak for protection from the rain! How dare you judge me by my physical appearance!"

"Hit the road pal, you don't look presentable enough to be admitted in town and you don't have any documentation either, so why don't you go away before I toss you over the b-" The Serperior's advances were interrupted by Eric, who stepped forward and pushed the smaller grass type back.

"Now now, what did we say about confronting the guards, mister? Don't worry, we'll take care of this." The Riolu turned to face the guards, who were sneering at the fighting type.

"Oh, and now we've got a nudist, fantastic. Hit the road, you're n-" The Serperior was promptly silenced as Eric showed him his explorer's badge, which, at first didn't have much effect, but as he noticed the unique star emblem and the name, he took an even closer look and checked the number underneath… "Sir!" He straightened and returned the badge in a hurry with a vine. "You may pass! And your team members as well!"

"Thank you! And the Roselia will be coming with us, he's our client after all. Also, remember what he said about judging pokémon by their appearance, and if I catch you denying access to Cunabula to any pokémon because of their clothing, I'll notify your superiors. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Star!" The mention of the surname brought about a wave of gasps and 'Oooohs', and the team in its entirety thought it was high time they moved along. They covered the rest of the bridge, the Roselia sticking close to them and thanking them constantly… though by the time the guard reached into his pocket out of custom and realized his small coin purse was gone, it was far too late, looking around for quite some time and coming to the conclusion he'd lost it.

"Phew… now that was some help! Million thanks, my anonymous benefactors! But… may I ask why you took the liberty to help me? You could have very easily left me behind to struggle for entry against the guards, which I assure you, I would've eventually won, as my charms know no end… but I am getting ahead of myself. I am Vincent, traveller extraordinaire, at your service!" He bowed as his introduction finished. Now that the transit of pokémon was much thinner, they could inspect him more closely. The roses on his hands were absent, the leaves on his shoulders were orange leaning to brown in colour, and the small bit of the line on his chest that was visible was purple.

"Well… glad to meet you Vincent. I am Eric, that's Elly…" The Eevee smiled at him, and Eric named the rest of the members whilst they greeted and said hello to the traveller. "As for us helping you… we just couldn't stand some guard shoving you away just because you weren't wearing some fancy silk-made dress."

Vincent chuckled "A pleasure to meet you all, and trust me, I wouldn't wear one of those things, even if I had the money! There's nothing that our natural beauty simply cannot top." He brushed the top of his head.

"Amen brother!" Serge responded and extended his wing, and even though the grass type was slightly confused at first, he high fived the bird. "Besides, you don't look too shabby in that cloak!"

"Oh, do you mean it?" The Roselia inspected himself from head to toe, then posed with a hand on his neck and one on his hip. "Well… it is only natural, I'd look good with anything on." The sound of a certain Shinx gagging reached his ears. "Is something the matter?" It was then when he noticed the glances they were all giving him, and decided to stop, wearing a sheepish smile. "Oh… forgive me, I tend to get carried away."

"That's something you and Serge already have in common… Anyways, we should go into town, we've got quite a lot of things to do here." Elly said goodbye to the grass type and turned around, and he did the same as the group walked off to their destination, though Jake looked back a few times to check on Vincent. He reminded him of someone, though with that smile and that coin purse in hand, he couldn't really put his finger on it. Once inside the city the fact they weren't wearing clothes asides from their cold protection wasn't such a huge deal, as the amount of pokémon around them made it hard to spot them. "Okay so… I know not everyone's gonna want to come over to where I'm being interrogated… which I believe is the prison."

"The prison? Geez… that's comforting. I think I'll pass, my wings don't do well in dark, gloomy places like those." Serge, as expected, wasn't going to tag along, and obviously Nox declined the invitation too.

"I'd go but… I kinda want to see the rest of the city." Lucy shot an inquiring look at Zed, but the Zorua shook his head.

"I want to go with Elly. I don't think it's fair we leave her to face the Judges alone." The Shinx closed her eyes and thought about what her mate was saying, but she ended up shrugging and said she was ok with it. Eric placed a paw on the dark type's shoulder and laughed.

"Thanks. Jake and I will be tagging along too, so you won't have to worry about anything." He looked at the three that weren't to come with them. "If you're going to go sightseeing do something useful while you're at it and look for somewhere we can stay in, like a hotel or an inn. It's likely that this whole affair will take longer than a day. and we're definitely not sleeping in the streets."

"Now that I can get behind. Alright, see ya guys later!" Serge crouched down so Nox and Lucy could get on and was about to take off… but the crowd around him made it really hard to even do so. "Oh… yeah, can't really fly with all these pokémon around… guess we'll have to go on foot." The complaints rushed in, not even two seconds after he said. "Hey, shut up it sucks for me as well! Besides, I'm not some bandwagon, I'm a pokémon! With feelings and…" Their conversation was lost to their ears as they melted into the crowd. The four pokémon that remained turned to Jake, who had been in Cunabula a couple times before, and lead them to their destination.

The building he took them to did indeed look like a prison. A large structure made out of several blocks, which looked very modern. Some of the prison cells had windows that lead to the outside world, and there was a steady stream of pokémon walking in and out: Judges of Arceus, sternly looking at all those around them while clad in their signature white robes, guards whose suits of armor danced with their every move, and normal pokémon that either had other jobs in the faculty or were simply passing by.

Either way, the Eevee's presence there was already attracting the attention of some, but she didn't pay their whispers any mind: they could call her indecent for all she cared, she was there for a reason and she wouldn't leave until she had a long nice talk with their leader, the "great" Tharmius. She stormed into the main hall, a reception with a long line of pokémon, chairs stacked up and littered around tables, where pokémon talked in soft voices. Elly walked up to one of the receptionists, a determined glare on her face.

"Hello, and welcome to the CPD. Can I help you?" The receptionist was an elderly looking Wynaut, its eyes narrow and almost imperceptible, and yet they could clearly see Elly, as they were staring right at her.

"Yes, I am Elizabeth Star, and a few days ago I was called here by the Judges of Arceus to undergo interrogation. I am here to do so willingly, and have a talk with their leader, Tharmius." The receptionist nodded as she said this, and once she was done, they turned to the others.

"We're here to accompany her… and also visit a prisoner, miss Ana." Jake walked up to the counter and was recognized almost immediately.

"Aaaah, mister Jake, what an unexpected surprise! So these are your team mates you kept mentioning to me, are they?" The Wynaut's face relaxed from being stern to friendly. "I'm sorry I tried to talk with you so formally, please excuse me."

The sudden change in attitude surprised Elly, who smiled and shook her head. "No no, please, it's alright, it's your job, you don't have to feel bad about it." The Wynaut was still very much apologetic, and she introduced herself as Ana, a gentle old soul who'd been working behind that counter ever since that building had been built.

"It's always so nice to meet youngsters like Jake… so respectful with their elderly, and even if he tries to appear cold and distant, I know better…" She chuckled, which in turn flustered the Sneasel a little bit, who turned his head. "It's really sweet for you to come visit that man. Why, I honestly think the poor soul doesn't belong in this place…" She sighed. "Then again, you could say the same for all those poor pokémon the Judges have thrown in here."

This revelation confused the group, though Jake coughed and took it as his chance to explain the situation. "This is one of the main prisons in the region, the other being in Fanum, so they throw those poor pokémon in here when they see it fit. It is difficult to look at, behind bars when just a few minutes away they were free as a bird in the streets. I do all I can however, and deliver the mail from their families to them. It's the least I can do for the poor souls." This only made Elly angrier at the organization.

"How can they even… I swear they're going to pay for this!" Elly didn't let her anger get the best of her, but even she couldn't hold back the exclamation, though it was barely audible in the mess that was the reception hall.

"Now now, don't let them get to you hun." The Wynaut chuckled. "I was like you when I was younger: full of vim and vigor, ready to pounce on the first thing that I thought was unjust… but it doesn't help, trust me on this. Besides, you're not the only one who's fighting back. We hav-"

Her conversation with the Eevee was interrupted as someone ran into the department. " **Goood morning!** Is everyone ready for yet another exciting day defending this city of evil!?" They all turned to face the newcomer: a Blaziken with a killer smile, a glint in eye, well groomed feathers on his head and wearing a plate of armor and greaves. "Because I sure as hell am!" His shouts earned him the cheers of essentially every guard and pokémon that wasn't a Judge of Arceus, as he walked around and high fived them all with a smile, cheering up the ambiance in an instant. What was before a cold, serious room had now turned into a scalding boiler of activity and conversation.

Team Star in its entirety was beyond confused at his sudden entrance, and they were flabbergasted at the way that someone that was completely unaccounted for before had all of a sudden become the centre of attention. His endless quest to cheer up absolutely everyone in the room eventually lead the Blaziken to the group, who greeted the receptionist first. "And good morning to you, miss Ana! What a lovely day to help pokémon, right?!"

"Oh yes, indeed, Mr. Alakarn, of course!" She had been caught in the middle of a giggling fit. "Your entrances are always so peppy and unexpected, I wasn't sure of what was happening for a second!"

" _Peppy and unexpected seem synonyms for annoying and overblown in this woman's dictionary_." Came Jake's voice into the Team Star's members heads, and… they could see where he came from. Still, there was something about the way he moved and smiled that also made you want to smile.

The Blaziken let out a hearty laugh and looked at the newcomers. "Oh, and who might they be? Why, I recognize the Sneasel! Hello again, Jake! You remember me, right?"

"Oh, do I remember you indeed, Alakard… My migraine is not yet gone, and I fear it might be related to the voyage here, so I'd prefer it if you weren't so loud…"

"My apologies then! It's such a shame that the trip here makes you seasick… but alas, that is why I must redouble my efforts to help you!" Once again, he smiled and rubbed the Sneasel's head, forcing him to put his feather back in its place.

"No, no it's quite the contrary…" His mutters were silenced as he turned his attention to the other three pokémon.

"And you must be his team mates! He speaks highly of you, so you must be avid defenders of justice like myself! Let us unite by greeting eachother! I am fantastic, imitated but never duplicated… Alakard!" He even did a magnificent pose, pointing at himself with a thumb. "Lead investigator here in Cunabula and criminal apprehender extraordinaire!" He bowed afterwards. "At your humble service."

His presence was quite literally too much for them to handle properly, and already nervous chuckles were creeping up their throats whilst Jake kept his hand on his face, and Zed was incredibly embarrassed, as the Blaziken's eccentricities were attracting the gazes of everyone in the hall, and subsequently, he was also in the focus of the attention.

"Riiight… Well, I'm Eric Star, and that's Elly Star and that's Zed. It's a… pleasure to meet you, Alakard sir." He extended his paw… only for the Blaziken to grasp it with both hands and shake it so much that he feared he was going to rip his arm out of its joint.

"No no no no **no!** The pleasure's **all mine**! And not that kind of pleasure mind you… Hello!" He laughed at his own joke, which hadn't get registered in their minds. "Well, it was definitely nice to meet you lot and see some old faces again, but I must leave now, I have some suspects to interrogate and pokémon to get out of jail!" He turned around and waved goodbye before running down the hallway, leaving a trail of charm and good feelings wherever he went.

Once he was gone and Team Star could process what had just happened, they turned to Ana again. "Umm… What was **that** all about?"

Ana was still too busy chuckling. "Oh that man makes me feel so much younger… That was Alakard Jhou. He's one of the lead investigators for the Cunabular police and… all around he's just a joy to be around."

"I still wonder how someone like him can still work in this institution…" Jake's migraine magically disappeared when the Blaziken was out of sight.

"Well… he isn't actually an ace detective. After all, we're all pokémon, but everyone likes to keep him around. He contrasts the Judges very well and keeps everyone from going insane at their eccentricities… even if his own are just as insane. However, he does something which not many brave souls dare to: he is the one I was telling you about, the one helping those poor condemned pokémon out of their jail cells and back with their families."

" **Pardon me**?!" Out of all pokémon that was most surprised by these news, it was Jake, who turned to Ana in a mixture of bewilderment and surprise. "Surely you jest! This individual is the one helping those wrongly accused?!"

"Now now, mister Jake, what did I say about judging pokémon by their appearance!" She got stern with him for a few seconds before going back to her usual kind self. "But yes, that is him. He has been very hard at work and has managed to get a few pokémon out, or at the very least, improve their situation and prospects. There's still much to be done, but… he's the living and breathing proof that not every believer is as wicked as those Judges."

"And he believes in Arceus' return too?" Elly's smile vanished as the Riolu asked this, and turned to face the religious extremists, reminding her immediately of why they were there to begin with.

"Well, that's all fine and dandy… but we're here for the same reason, remember?" She cut the conversation short, and looked at Ana. "I'd like to clean my name in front of these Judges and order an audience with their leader, Tharmius." The look on her face displeased Ana, but she nodded and reached into a crystal to relay the message.

"They…" Her eyes widened. "Huh… they say they've been expecting you, and that there's a room prepared for you. It's down the hallway, turn right at then the fourth door on your left. However, they say that Tharmius had to leave because of personal reasons, so I'm afraid you won't be able to reach him today." Ana's response was almost automatic, which was quite sad considering that she'd been so warm and open just a few seconds ago.

Elly ignored the frown on Eric's face and nodded. "Well… let's not keep them waiting then."

"They also said that if there's anyone with you they must stay in the hall." Everyone faced the Wynaut, who had a frown on her face. She was relaying the message, but… it was clear that she was also altering it slightly. The tone of her voice implied an imminent danger that not even she was aware of. "Be careful." Was all she could say before she returned to her duties. The three males accompanying Elly looked at her.

Zed was the most anxious out of them all. "This smells like a serious trap, we should…"

"No, we're not leaving. Not until I ask them a few questions."

"And get locked up here?" Eric asked, though didn't receive an answer. She turned around to head into the prison area… but he grabbed the neck of her fur and pulled her back. "Elly listen to me!"

"No!" She broke free from his grasp and slapped his paw away with her tail. "I can't sit idly and look at those innocent pokémon get locked up one by one! I need to know! I need to know why all of this is happening so I can stop it! So I'm going to get my answers one way or the other!" She turned around and headed down the hallway, even as Eric shouted and tried to get her to come back to his side, but she ignored his cries and disappeared around the corner.

"Elly… what the hell's her problem?!" He vented his frustrations by huffing and facing away, rubbing his head. "I don't get it, she's been like this ever since the Judges appeared in town and she won't tell me!"

"You must calm yourself, Eric. Perhaps it is because she doesn't want to worry you further."

"Not worry me?! Well, it's having the exact opposite effect, Jake!"

"Well… maybe… she's got her doubts." Zed chimed in, stuttering as he spoke up. The two bipedal pokémon faced him. "I mean… she said you needed to know, right? Well… it sounded like she had her suspicions that way, and… she's treating all this like it's some sort of personal matter, so perhaps she just really wants to know the answer to those questions?" Not even Zed's words comforted the Riolu, but for the moment all they could do was sit down and wait for Elly to come back.

* * *

The Eevee had no trouble finding the door. Most of them were closed, albeit some were open and were insights to bureaus and offices with investigators and Judges hard at work. The door she'd been told to go was the only one wide open, and when she looked inside she found a familiar face: the Gallade, albeit hoodless, was waiting inside. His office was completely white, and was kind of unsettling, albeit the window to his side which showed the city exterior eased her mind, the sun shining in and illuminating the room. Still, the lack of colors, his white and golden robes

"Ah, miss Elizabeth. Surprised you actually came." He turned to face her, leaning back in his wooden chair. "Come, sit down, get comfy. This will take a long time."

"I hope so, mister…" She came into the room and walked over to the chair opposite of his desk, a small stool with a cushion on it. The desk was mostly bare, asides from papers, ink and quill and a large book with a black cover and golden letters.

"Martin." He finished the sentence for her, the reveal of his name confusing her as she reached down and pulled out clean papers and dipped the tip of the quill in ink.

Whilst he did all of the above, she decided to ask him something that had been eating away at her ever since she'd come in that room. "Your attitude is quite different from our encounter a few days ago… any reason?"

Only once he finished placing everything and was ready to begin the interrogation did he answer his question. "I had expected to have to drag you out of your hiding hole and forcefully bring you here, like all the others… but instead you decided to come here out of your own volition. While you and I might not see eye to eye…" His choice of words made Elly grab the pillow beneath her in anger. "But I must admire your bravery in confronting us like this, so directly, which in turn will probably help clear your name of any false accusations."

"Before we begin however… I must make something clear: everything you say and do from this point onward will be used against you in a hypothetical case of trial in a court of law, overseen by not only our normal law, but also our lord Arceus'gaze, and as such you must swear you will say the truth and nothing but the truth. Am I clear?" She could feel the gravity of the situation coming down on her, and understood his strategy: he was trying to intimidate her with the prospect of a trial… and while it was certainly an unpleasant thought, she wouldn't be deterred so easily.

"Crystalline." She shifted in her seat and gave him a confident smile. And the interrogation began. The questions rained upon her from that moment onward: her name, her background, her education, her history as an explorer, etc… They wanted to know everything she'd done, what she'd eaten and where she'd slept for the last twenty years. She answered as honestly as she could, though change the story a bit for obvious reasons: instead of spending the first five years of her tender childhood with her mother and father, she was already hatched with the Kecleon brothers, a claim Klec would have no problem supporting. Her motivation for being an exploring was changed from revenge on her father to simply wanting to see the world. From here on out, the story remained faithful, with the exception of the more family centered encounters with her mother and father and specific details they'd decided to keep secret from the rest of the world.

An hour and a half later and after retelling most of the story, they were nearing the end of the interrogation, or so Martin told her. "Very well, last few questions then… I need you to be absolutely truthful about these."

"I've been doing that so far… so sure, let's do it." The Gallade nodded and looked at his papers.

"What was your relationship with Blake?"

"Didn't know him. He became interested in me and Eric after we got rid of one of his subordinates."

"Petrae the Golem, correct? This event and your subsequent kidnapping were separated by a whole year."

"A Lucario by the name of Virkov helped Eric destroy another. This happened mere weeks before I was kidnapped." His frown grew, but since he couldn't prove she was lying, he continued.

"How did you get your powers?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. The Human Eric explained it might've had something to do with Clades and himself, but never elaborated much on it. We just woke up one day and we had them." She wasn't about to tell them where and what the Sanctuary was, and to be fair her explanation wasn't that far off from the truth.

"Well… it is a shame he died then."

" _Shame indeed._ "

Martin stood up and put his quill back in the ink pot. "Very well… I see no need to continue this interrogation. Everything you have said will be thoroughly analyzed, and you will receive notice of our decision when Tharmius himself has inspected these notes. From the look of it, it seems your story does not have any contradictions or holes in it… but we will have to corroborate and confirm some of these declarations with other witnesses."

"By all means, do so. I have nothing to hide, mister Martin… though I have to ask, why is it you're so passionate about incarcerating innocents?" Since they were done, she found there was no reason for her interrogation to not begin. The psychic type slowly rose his eyes and stared straight into her's.

"Innocents? Miss… I am afraid you don't understand: we judge based on the declarations these pokémon give us, and they are found guilty or innocent in a court of law."

"Which you control."

"Are you implying we lock away all those we disagree with or simply don't agree with us, take their belongings and then leave them to rot in dungeons?"

"I'm not implying it, Sir Martin…" She stood up and slammed her paws on the table. "I'm saying it. There's no way you can find so many guilty pokémon in such a short period time and everywhere you go. You take what belongs to them, and in search of… what? What exactly is it that you want to achieve through this? Find a terrorist organization that is probably hiding somewhere else? Your actions are too loud, too noticeable for you to be looking for some terrorists. So what is it? Why the need of the flair, the publicity, the coverage your institution has garnered, if you're trying to hunt down pokémon that are experts at hiding?!"

These were the questions that had been burning away inside of her: why look and search so freely instead of following solid leads if they were trying to hunt down terrorists? How come they only targeted specific groups and types, and the fact that almost everyone they'd interrogated had owned up to being somehow related to the attacks? She had to know, because she had her suspicions, and she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully until she knew for sure who or what they were looking for.

"There are…" He sat down. "Many reasons for that, Miss Elly. There are far more pokémon that are guilty of helping in attacks and other attempts at destabilizing the public order. We are here to guarantee pokémon that were once primal don't threaten normal citizens, we're here to ensure there aren't any Dark Eons plotting to initiate yet another Time Freeze… but our top priority and target, Miss Elly? Well… That is classified information, albeit… considering your team was the one that took down the dark one, I might as well give you a hint." He gave her a wide smiled which chilled her to bone: it wasn't a smile of complicity, but instead one of self-indulgence and confidence. As if they'd already won.

"We have found information regarding the possibility that Blake, at some point in time… had a mate." And there it was. Her spirits dropped to the ground and her eyes narrowed, panic settling in as her worst nightmares were realized. "And… because of this, there is a chance that the dark one might have had offspring… that still roams the land. Considering that their father was assassinated in such a manner and that he became public enemy number one… we can't risk them wanting to avenge him. And, in all honesty, this is incredibly positive for you, miss Elizabeth, and your mate and friends too. After all…" He leaned in closer. "You were the ones that killed him, correct?"

The horror on her face was impossible to hide, and she could feel the cold sweat of fear washing over her, her paws weakening and trembling in her position as she returned to her position. "I know it is a terrifying thought, Elly, but this is exactly the reason we need your cooperation: your life, along with countless others, is at a remarkable risk."

"I…" She couldn't properly answer to something like that. She'd gotten her answer, but it was the last thing she'd wanted to hear, especially from someone like him. She kept looking at him nervously, trying to scan the look in his eyes: he knew, he definitely knew, he must know… but how? And how come she hadn't been detained right there and there? Why hadn't he tried to attack her or throw her into a cell? What was happening? The world was spinning round and round, and all colour drained from her face, growing as pale as the walls around her as the ground got colder and colder, a headache suddenly taking over her brain's processes as she began hyperventilating, captured by panic.

"No, we'll… be fine, Martin. We killed him once we'll…" She swallowed hard before saying her next words. "We'll do it again if we must." And with that, she opened the door and left the room, slamming it behind her. The hallways twisted and bent around her, now filled with pokémon and guards that contorted and took on different, scarier and sometimes demonic shapes. She felt like she was fourteen again. Fourteen, alone and scared, stuck inside that the cave and defenseless. Any pokémon she looked at or bumped into was enormous to her, staggering giants that intimidated her, and when they looked down she felt murderous intent. She felt as if her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets, hitting the wall as she basically ran into the reception hall… and that was when she felt her consciousness start fading away, her body growing heavier and her legs ever weaker until…

"Elly!" Eric swooped in with arms and quickly grabbed her before she dropped down. His voice snapped her out of her stupor and she looked around. Some pokémon were looking at her, confused, worried or a mixture of the two. She looked around, relaxing in her mate's embrace as she rested her head against his chest, breathing into his fur.

"Oh Eric… I… I don't know… No no… They're…" She was still panting heavily, and felt incredibly tired, but the fear and panic were now replaced by a sense of relief as she gripped his fur tightly. He didn't know what was happening, but he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her passionately, hushing her and patting her head to try and calm her down. Jake and Zed were baffled at what was happening, but decided to leave the Eevee to the Riolu whilst they looked around at the pokémon that happened to glance at them. And because of this they also noticed someone approaching from where Elly had come from.

Martin walked out of the hallway, approaching them at a slow pace, and everyone recognized him. The Riolu put two and two together and hugged the Eevee closer to him, growling at the psychic type… but the taller pokémon did something that none of them expected: he crouched down, staying a few feet away from them, and showed concern. "Is she alright? Perhaps I was too harsh on her…"

Eric however, didn't buy it."You son of a b-"

"Hey, what's happening over here?!" Before the confrontation even begun, a familiar face intervened: Alakard burst into view and stepped in between the group and the Judge, a wide smile on his face. "Now now, let's not be aggressive, we can always solve these conflicts with words and talking! Now… let's hear what the offended party has to say!" He gave Eric the turn to talk…

"What the fuck did you do to her?!"

"Alright, alright… I should've specified we shouldn't use bad words…" Jake groaned audibly when the Blaziken said this.

"Now now… there is no need to get violent. I interrogated her as was accorded, but I answered her questions and the answer shook her to her core it seems… and I can understand it: the prospect of a pokémon chasing after you in order to avenge a wicked one like Blake is doubtlessly a horrifying thought, especially when considering what he was capable of." The other three understood what he'd explained to the Eevee, and subsequently why she was freaking out so much.

Alakard, however, took it much better. "Oh, that 'target' you are following? Well… perhaps if you stopped locking up pokémon at random you would've found them sooner, y'know?" He wasn't happy with their actions, but he still didn't dismiss that smile he had on his face constantly. "So, instead of me having to bust them out… how about we work together and save this poor Eevee? She's a pretty important pokémon too!" He extended his hand in friendship… but the Gallade refused it.

"We judge these pokémon basing our accusations on the clues we've gathered thanks to **your** men, Alakard… We give them fair trials too."

"But nine out of ten times they are found guilty, but then I step in and… look at that, this person never even knew who Blake was!" Alakard shook his head. "I don't wanna start pointing fingers and blaming you of foul play… but you're being mighty suspicious! But anyways, I'm seriously willing to forgive all of that if you guys stop and collaborate: for realsies this time!" He extended his hand once more, and again it was denied.

"There will be no 'realsies' for our cooperation: we seek the same goals, but we will achieve them through different means. Time will tell which of us was in the right. Now, if you'll excuse me…" He bowed, looked at Elly one last time and left the hall, going back to his room.

"Well… at least I tried…" Alakard looked a bit discouraged, but his smile soon returned and faced the pokémon behind him. "Oh well, maybe next time! Will you need some help, you two?"

Elly was still visibly shaken, but at least the Gallade wasn't there anymore, whilst Eric seemed just as angry as before. "No, we'll be fine, thank you."

"But you look like you need h-"

" **We don't need it**." The Riolu's voice changed drastically, and the fire type backed away, looking afflicted.

"Alright then… I'll… be around if you uuuh… need some help?" He walked backwards and turned around, unsure of what to do, whilst Eric kept trying to comfort Elly as best he could.

"So… they're looking for Blake's offspring… That indeed explains it all." Jake sat down and ruminated, talking with himself.

"I don't think this is the best time and place to discuss this… should we go and find the others?"

"No… I know of a better place where we won't be disturbed and we'll be surrounded by allies." The ice type got up and looked at the receptionists, walking over and speaking with Ana once more. She nodded, grabbed her crystal and then smiled, telling the Sneasel something that shocked him. When he returned, he asked the trio to follow him closely, Eric holding Elly close to him with his paw as they walked side by side. The Sneasel lead down the hallway on the opposite end of the hall, which lead to the prison cells area. Most of them had pokémon in there, but few looked hardened enough to deserve being behind bars: the majority sat in the back of the cells, looking at the ground or laying on their beds and looking at the ceiling, sobbing or silently accepting their unjust punishment. As they raised however, and got to the second and third floor, they ceased being so innocent and become much more violent as they walked by, and they even recognized Team Star, either cowering away or lunging at the bars, trying to take a bite out of the pokémon that had locked them up there.

Luckily, they arrived at their destination as they once again reached an area with much more calm pokémon: the area where political criminals were locked up, an area Jake essentially ran past to approach a much cleaner area with a steel door at the end of the hallway, two guards positioned either side. The door had no other cells beyond it, just a long pristine corridor with yet another door, which was slightly ajar and revealed the room inside, from where they could hear several voices.

"...And after all of that, we **still** didn't get any food! And we had to go down to the reception hall and say that a Machoke had just broken down the door… It was just a mess, just an absolute mess." Eric and Elly's ears perked up at the voice they'd just heard, and same with the giggle and chuckled that responded to it. They hastened their pace and pushed the door open… and inside they saw a trio of pokémon that they recognized immediately.

Dusknoir, Grovyle and Celebi were having an amicable conversation inside, sitting around the round table next to the right wall. The room itself was pretty bare asides from the bed, the waist high bookcase, the table and chairs they were sitting around and the flowerpot in the barred window frame. They turned around when Team Star walked into the room, and their eyes lit up for a second, especially Celebi's, who flew up from her chair and lunged at Eric and Elly together, hugging them.

"Eric! Elly! Oh my gosh, how are you~!" She couldn't help but squeal, Elly's earlier distress being temporarily replaced by glee as she returned the hug, trying to greet the legendary too before Grovyle walked over and helped get Celebi off of them in order to get some breathing room. "Hehehe… sorry. It's been ages though, where have you been?!"

"Oh, we've been… different places." Eric had to be intentionally vague about it, lest the story that they'd been stuck in another world for almost a full year get out.

"For a whole year? You had us worried sick!"

"Oh come on, you thought we would've kicked the bucket so easily?" Eric faked to be wounded, which made Grovyle laugh.

"Not really, but we thought you'd retired, specially after those fakers popped up. Boy was I glad to read about you on the news the other day, good job on that magnet in Hoenn!" Even though the news had been silently put under the rug, their friends everywhere knew what they'd done, and Eric was glad to see the grass type again, high fiving him.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you too, Grovyle, Celebi. Were you also visiting Dusknoir?" Jake cut into the conversation the only way he knew how, but neither were offended. If anything, they were glad to see the ice type as well, greeting and shaking hands with him. Celebi tried to hug the Sneasel, but he wasn't too keen on such a formal greeting, and instead she turned her attention on Zed, who she didn't know all that well.

"My, where's everyone else?" She asked as she floated up to Zed and hugged him to greet the dark type.

"They're walking around town… they didn't want to tag along." Eric's explanation confused everyone and almost made Dusknoir sad.

"They didn't want to visit Dusknoir?" Grovyle's inquiry was answered negatively.

"No… we had other reasons to come here, and after we were done with that, we decided to come over here. I'm sure that if we'd said we wanted to visit Dusknoir first they would have tagged along." Elly's attempt to cheer them up worked, albeit the laughter that came from Dusknoir was also slightly bitter.

"There is no need to lie Elly… but still, I appreciate you visiting me. How have things been?"

"Oh, you know… hunting criminals, locking them up in jail, the usual." The Eevee's response was as sincere as she could make it, keeping her cool and trying to not break down in front of so many friends. The last thing she wanted was to sour a sweet reunion like that, and instead made small talk with Celebi, who was already asking her how she and Eric were doing. "Oh, we're doing perfectly! We officially got together when he finally came back from… quite literally, the dead, and we got a new house just recently that we're sharing with everyone!"

"Oh, a new house? Well, don't be surprised if we show up one day then, now I really want to go back to visit Treasure Town!" Her excitement was extremely effective at cheering the normal type up, and for the time being she forgot about her woes. Meanwhile, Eric turned to look at Grovyle and approached him.

"And how have things been for you two? We haven't seen you two since… well… then." Grovyle's face went slightly somber.

"Yeah, it's been like… three years since then. We decided to go on a honeymoon to Unova, and after that we got wrapped up in legendary pokémon affairs. Apparently a legendary marrying a normal pokémon is somewhat unheard of, but… we actually got off the hook! After that we heard you guys had gone missing, we helped search for you and… one day you just showed up again! Seriously though, where were you? If I know you guys at all, you sure as hell aren't the type to leave like that for a whole year!" Grovyle's reasoning was correct, and there really wasn't much he could say to shake the suspicion off of him… so he came out clean.

"We… got warped to another world." The grass type rose a finger to say something, opening his mouth… only for his jaw to fall and his eyes widen. "Yeah, tell me about it. If you don't believe me, ask Palkia. Also! Whenever you see him, tell the guy that we're still waiting for an apology!" He and Grovyle started laughing.

"That's going to be difficult… he rarely shows up anyways, too busy keeping reality together to grace us with his presence. But I'll remember it just in case we do happen to come across him." While the two keep on talking and laughing together, Jake introduced Zed to Dusknoir.

"It's… uh… a pleasure to finally meet you properly, Dusknoir, sir." He couldn't help but stutter in the face of someone so big and imposing, specially after having heard so much about him from Jake and the others.

"Please, there's no need for you to call me sir. Either way, it is a pleasure to meet you as well, Zed! Jake has brought you up many times during our conversation, and is always mentioning your superb cooking."

"Wait, he does?!" He turned to face the Sneasel, who simply glanced at him and nodded.

"Was there ever any doubt? Not once have I left anything on my plate, now have I? Just because I have not expressed my thoughts on your dishes does not mean that I do not find them delicious." As always, the tone of his voice was kind of plain, albeit there was an undertone of surprise that was perceptible to at least Dusknoir, who couldn't repress a chuckle as Zed profusely thanked Jake for saying those things.

"Well well…" He stood straight and looked at everyone. "It is definitely nice to have everyone here once more… I would lie if I said I hadn't missed this." He said it without thinking, and silence befell the room, everyone's thoughts floating over to the same person.

"Well… almost everyone…" Grovyle sighed as he said this. "More than three years now, thank goodness I took care of the grave while you were gone."

"So it was you that left those flowers, eh?"

"Yeah… Couldn't leave my friend's grave untended, right?" Elly held her breath as he said this, then breathed out.

"Well… We've been trying to live our lives as best as we can, and all thanks to him… So we won't be forgetting what he did for us anytime soon."

Dusknoir sat down on his bed and leaned back, giving the Eevee an intense glare. "But sadly it seems the rest of the world has… Or at least a large portion of it has." He was still very much imposing, even as he sat down. "Perhaps we should discuss the reason you've come here… you are all extremely busy pokémon, and coming here to simply visit me is strange."

"Well… yeah, that's true. We came here becaus-" Eric couldn't even begin his explanation before he was interrupted by a commotion outside, and the sound of guards marching up the road. Everyone turned to face the window, though Jake was the fastest there, followed by Grovyle.

"What's going on?" Celebi remained still, torn between checking the window and listening to Eric. What Grovyle said next however, called her attention to the outside.

"Hey, isn't that your friend?" He inquired, looking at Jake, who's eyes widened considerably.

"What in the world… what is Serge doing?!" Eric, Elly and Zed looked at the Sneasel, and before anyone else could add their two cents to the conversation, Eric ran out the door, followed by Jake.

* * *

 **5 minutes earlier…**

"Are you sure it's this way?" Lucy repeated her question for the fifth time, which made Serge stop and groan in annoyance.

"Yes, yes I'm sure! We were told the police department was down the road, then turn right and then turn left at the end of the avenue, so we have to be close!" It wasn't long before they began discussing, something that Nox ignored, as he was too busy looking at the trees and flowers planted along the sides of the walkways, separating the pedestrians from the central road where carriages drove. It was extremely different to anything he'd ever seen, either in Treasure Town or back home. In fact, it was the exact opposite of his home: clean and safe roads and streets, fresh air, the lively colors, the flowers… It was anything but home.

His musings were interrupted when Serge directly asked him something, snapping him out of his thoughts. "What?"

"Oh come on kiddo, pay attention! I said if you honestly think we're lost!" Nox looked around, and didn't find any building that resembled a police department. "Well?"

"I think we're lost, yeah."

"See?! I told you! Now what are we gonna do, genius?!" Lucy chimed in from behind his back, jumping onto him and screeching into his ear. "I told you I was right and you didn't listen, and now we don't even know where we are in a city we've never been in!"

He shook her off and threw her to the ground. "Calm your tail, Lucy! Just lemme ask for some directions and that'll be it… Oi! Excuse me! Sir! Oh come on don't ignore me!" Try as he might, his pleads and proper requests for directions fell on deaf ears. "Geez, I don't remember these pokémon being so disrespectful when I was last here!" He scoffed. "Is there no one in this city willing to show me how to get to the police department or what?" This situation was beyond frustrating for him… but it all took a sudden turn from the worst.

"Planning on turning yourself in?!" A voice taunted the Pidgeot from behind, quickly turning around to face the source. Pokémon were already stepping away, confused as to why this figure was shouting in the middle of the street: It was a bipedal creature with a long brown cloak, a tiny bag tied around their belt and a bulge around their right arm. "And here I thought I'd have to fight you! Can't believe you're willing to make my life easier."

Lucy and Nox looked at the Serge, who in turn was looking around, before finally pointing at himself. "You talkin' to me?"

"Of course! Who else here would be guilty of the following crimes?" The figure pulled out a list, and read a name none of them recognized. "Masaru Kaze! Crimes committed: arson, public indecency, robbery, exhibitionism, sexual deviancy, violence… and murder." They made a dramatic pause before they said the last of the charges. The voice sounded female, but at that point it was impossible to determine whether or not that was true.

Serge kept quiet through all of that, and started chuckling when she finished. "Wow… that sounds like a nasty piece of work! Good luck on hunting that guy down, sister, but we sure as hell aren't going to help you today!"

"Or perhaps you will… Mister Serge, if that's the name you go by now." This got the Pidgeot to stand still, and turn to face the cloaked pokémon.

"Right… and I'm the king of wonderland. Get lost dude, you're not making sense and you're starting become a pain in the ass, so if you don't have directions for the police department, fuck off." He tried to flip off the creature, but they remained immobile.

"Did you honestly think you could outrun your debts by just changing your name? It's hard to hide those feather, Kaze. There is quite a large bounty on your head, and I find myself in need of income. Furthermore, even though they say to not mix business and pleasure, I will take personal pleasure in beating a Kaze in combat." Halfway through her speech he started chuckling.

"Hold up, hold up… you're a bounty hunter? Me? Oh come on, I already paid all of my debts to all those loan sharks! They've got nothing on me, and they ain't gonna give you a cent! But that's alright, there's bigger fish that need frying… that's always the case for you bounty hunters, isn't it?" He turned around to face his companions, who were confused at this turn of events. "Come on guys, let's…"

"There're some debts that can only be paid in blood, Kaze… especially when it comes to a cold hearted murderer like yourself." He halted as they said this, but the bounty hunter didn't stop there. "I think I should also mention misogyny, substance abuse, sexism… or do you want me to mention who it was you killed? There's a very specific word to refer to it."

"Wha- Serge, what are they…"

He clenched his wings, and slowly turned around, shaking his head and chuckling. "Boy oh boy… you're barking up the wrong tree here, pal, lemme tell ya… You've got the wrong guy, ok? So… why don't you just stop spouting bullshit and we go on our merry ways before I turn around, lunge at you and cut off that tongue as punishment for lying so much?" He outstretched his right wing, which gave off a silver sheen, most of the pokémon around them stepping back, scared.

"Serge, what are you doing?! Just let this guy go and let's move!" Lucy tugged on his talons, but he simply shook her off, pointing his wing at the bounty hunter, who simply threw their head back and laughed.

"Alright… make me." A taunt was their only response. They looked at each other, the tension in the air so thick one would be able to cut it with a knife.

However, Serge was the first aggressor, a strong gust of wind blowing from behind as he launched himself at the offender, shouts from Nox and Lucy trying to stop him, but it was too late, as he was already right on top of the robed pokémon, screams coming from the crowds as his wings whistled through the air back and forth, attempting to harm his opponent and intimidate them. But they were too quick ducking and weaving around his wings like they were a pop-up from a kid's book, even as they nicked the ground and cut cleanly, they dared hit his left wing as he moved back and threw him off balance, plucking a feather before quickly retaliating with a swift kick to the Pidgeot's chest, knocking the wind out of him before grabbing onto his head, smashing their knee against their beak and then delivering a swift kick across his face, a gush of blood coming from his face as he pun backwards, a small bloodstain having appeared on the stranger's lower cloak.

The Pidgeot slid across the ground slightly, stopping halfway across the road, and quickly got up, bleeding from his nose, wiping the blood and chuckling. "Alright then… if that's how it's gonna be then…" He crossed his wings, which started glowing, and a gale picked up and threatened to blow his opponent off the ground, but they stood their ground, though with difficulty. They put their hands together, bubbles surging from their sleeves… but stopped halfway through the motion and looked past the Pidgeot. "Come on! Show me your tricks, you bastard!"

The only response he got was the figure flipping him off and turning around, which effectively angered him even further, lunging once again…

" **Serge!** " Eric's booming voice stopped the flying type on his tracks, turning on a dime for the face the Riolu, though immediately remember where his opponent was and turned back… and they were no longer there. Gone as quickly as they'd appeared, lost in the crowd most likely. And to top it all off, they'd left right as Eric appeared, most likely knowing that if the stayed any longer they ran the risk of fighting the Riolu himself. He sighed and turned around, forcing a smile.

"Yo!"

* * *

"What were you thinking, fighting in the middle of the road like that?!" They were back inside Dusknoir's cell. Eric, Elly and Grovyle were chastising the Pidgeot for his imprudence, while the others sat around the chair or the bed and drank tea or ate pastries that Dusknoir had asked for them. For being a prisoner, he could enjoy quite a few luxuries during his imprisonment. Eric was the one currently shouting at the Pidgeot, letting go of all the stress from the morning onto the poor flying type.

"Hey hey, I already said I apologized… besides, what was I supposed to do, go away and let that bastard ruin my reputation?"

"You honestly thought that fighting in the middle of the road would do any better?!"

"...I admit it wasn't my best plan so far."

"Well… your not so great plan could've ended up with you getting locked in a cell for a month or two Serge, and it would've attracted the attention of bad press to the rest of the team too. We're already on thin ice as is, the last thing we need is bad rep." Elly decided to become the voice of reason this time, stashing her own worries in the back of her head for the time being.

"I know as better as anyone how it feels to be taunted time and time again… I've been called many things by both normal pokémon and also legendaries, from simpleton and weakling to primal, which is apparently an insult too… But still, point is, you need to learn to fight back that temptation. You're the oldest member of their team, so you should act accordingly, you know." Grovyle crossed his arms and looked down at the Pidgeot, who usually towered over him, but since he was sprawled out on the ground against the wall it wasn't the case this time.

Serge let out a sigh and muttered something under his breath, only Elly catching the words 'So tired of this shit'. "What do you mean 'this shit'? What, tired of us telling you how to stop ruining your reputation? We could stop and instead let you go of the team if that's what you want."

The flying type rolled his eyes. "I'll say no to that, thank you. Still, that wasn't what I meant. This isn't the first time this shit's happened to me."

"You mean you've had someone walk up to you and start accusing you of crimes you didn't commit?" The feathery pokémon nodded. "Why?"

"I don't fuckin' know! If I did I would've made stop before, trust me! Guess they just get a kick for ruining my fuckin' name or something… bounty hunters man, all you are to them is a figure. That's it." He drew his finger across his neck as he said this. "They don't care about anything other than the money some fucker's put on your head."

"Well, who do you think would've gone ahead and put such a target on you to begin with?"

"No clue. I paid back all of my debts from the olden days, so there's literally no one else out for my head… so I'm betting they either picked up an old mission and aren't going to get jack shit from whoever sent it, or it's just a bounty hunter salty they lost their initial reward. I don't know and I don't care." That last sentence really didn't leave any room for further conversation, and even though Eric and Elly had more questions to ask him, they had other things to worry about.

"So… that's what they're after? Blake's daughter… You?" Lucy noticed the discussion was over and wanted to confirm she'd gotten it right. Elly nodded in response, confirming everyone's fears. "But… that's so horrible! They're hunting down someone that they don't know and are pinning it on everyone they dislike?!"

"Apparently so… So that explains why Eevees and Eeveelutions are the ones getting it worse." Nox swallowed as he said this. "And by extension, dark types have been getting it pretty bad too…"

"They won't come after you, you're too much of an idiot to be targeted by them." Lucy's insult was downright uncalled for, and Nox got heated up quickly, but even the Shinx herself was told off after this.

"The last thing we need is for a fight between you two to break out again Lucy, so please… just stop." Zed's words were the ones that convinced her, and everyone went mute for a while. Dusknoir stood up and decided to speak.

"While I am most certainly out of the loop with the entire situation… I've been here for quite a long time, and in contact with some of the other inmates at times. Rumors spread fast, and stories of the Judges' questionable methods are hardly a secret. The issue here is that they've got a staggering amount of support from a large portion of Kanto and Johto's population, and it's difficult to push laws against them in the parliament when they have such overwhelming presence in public opinion."

Grovyle stood up. "And who can blame them: even if it's been three years, the Time Freeze left a huge impact on everyone, and the government has done a poor job at trying to fix the situation: there had to be laws put in place so that recovering Primals weren't immediately fired and treated as monsters, but there're still incidents when they fall back into it. And with what happened in Flumerc Ars a few months ago…"

"So? They're just feeding off of the people's fears and using them for their own gains? Or do you honestly think they have some other purpose than enriching themselves? Because as far as we know, they get all the properties owned by the pokémon they imprison if they don't have any relatives." Eric interrupted Grovyle's turn, and he in turn was interrupted by Elly.

"No, the way Martin said it makes me believe that at least a portion of their organization is actively looking for me. Maybe there's a portion that wants to get filthy rich and that's it, but there's still a huge portion that isn't after that…"

"Whatever the case." Dusknoir recovered his turn. "The fact of the matter is, it will be difficult to bring them down, but I believe that we have more allies than we think in this fight. Asides from the government and several ETF officials calling out the Judges, there's also another group that has publicly denounced them: The Church of Arceus." Only Grovyle and Celebi remained in their spot when he said this, the news shocking absolutely everyone, who asked if he was being honest. "Yes, and have confirmed the rumors that the Judges are lead by a maverick who was once part of their inner Sanctum."

"Tharmius…" Elly muttered.

"Exactly. However, they've shown that they are not like them repeatedly: they were the first to answer to the attack in Flumerc Ars, and sent doctors, priests and as much money as they could in order to soften the attack as much as they could. Not only that, but by now you've probably met that Blaziken called Alakard, correct?" They all nodded. "He and I have spoken at large about this situation, and he's expressed his distaste for it all repeatedly. I deem that he's trustworthy, and you should try and know him better because of it… but keep your guard at all times. I feel like the worst is yet to come in reference to the Judges."

That was a feeling that they could all relate to: the Judges had gained an immense following after the attack in Flumerc Ars, where twenty pokémon, most of them dark types, waited for the weekly Saturday street market before attacking pokémon indiscriminately in the middle of the day in broad daylight. Even with the intervention of the authorities their coordination was such that it took considerable manpower and time to take them down, but by then the damage was done: reports concluded the death toll was around the hundreds, and the wounded were even higher. They'd planted bombs in specific areas to maximize the damage and attacked innocents for at least two hours before finally being brought down, having broken into the nearby buildings and slaughtered whatever was inside.

Nobody knew how they'd gotten their resources and who their leader was. More pokémon were apprehended later that week, among the which was the supposed leader of that operation, but not a single criminal organization claimed authority over the attack, which had left the ETF at an impasse. This type violence hadn't been seen since Team Uncario, and they were severely underprepared because of it, which had in turn hurt their reputation. It had been all over the news and it was still a very hot topic of discussion in pubs.

"God… what is the world coming to…" Celebi put her hands and fingers together and looked at her lap. "We all did our best and sacrificed so much for a world everyone thought was lost… we won the battle and things went back to the way they used to, and yet… not even three years later they've gotten just as bad, if not worse!"

"Truth be told, the Judges of Arceus didn't appear out of thin air." Dusknoir spoke up once more. "Long before the Time Freeze, five years prior even, there were already rumors of religious extremists attacking settlements and villages all over the world, so I'd bet that we're talking about the same pokémon here… but this time they'd decided to separate themselves and show their true face, where as before they hid themselves within the Church." At the mention of these attacks, something strange happened: Nox and Lucy went incredibly somber and looked away, details that the rest of their friends didn't miss.

"Either way, I believe this is much too big for us to tackle currently. If Tharmius was here and Elly could've gotten into contact with him, I dread to think of what could've happened." Eric voiced his worries for the Eevee, who'd been greatly affected by just speaking with Martin.

"And what are we supposed to do then?" Serge finally spoke up after being silent for so long. "Stand still and look at how more lives are ruined?"

"Well, what do you propose we do? Our reputation is at an all time low. Whatever we say to try and sway the public opinion away from them will just fall to the ground."

"Well… when it comes to what we can say, that is true… but there is someone else who can help us." Elly interrupted the discussion between the two, and immediately Grovyle, Celebi and Dusknoir exchanged a look of worry.

"No. He cannot." Dusknoir suddenly spoke up, knowing exactly who they were talking about, and his negative caught them off guard. "There are other pressing matters he must attend to and…"

"More pressing matters?! More pressing than trying to keep innocents out of jail?!" Elly got extremely angry with the ghost type, and pressed him to try and know what it was that kept this other pokémon so busy.

"I… cannot say why. I apologize." Elly didn't give up immediately, but after her interrogation net her no results, she resigned, feeling utterly defeated. "I am deeply sorry. I have no doubts that you will find a way to right this situation… but for now he won't be able to help you, there are other things that are taking up his priorities."

"Still…" Celebi cut in, and earned herself looks from both of her companions. "I was just about to say that you shouldn't give up hope! Maybe if you think hard enough something will come up. It's too late to do anything today anyways, so you should probably head to your hotel and wait for tomorrow."

"So you're just telling us to go to bed and hope that all our problems magically disappear?" Lucy violently inquired, but instead got a look of scorn from Jake.

"I believe what they're saying is simple and understandable: we should go to sleep, think about this whole situation with a cool head and decide what we'll do afterwards." He faced Dusknoir when he said this, his gaze not relaxing one bit. "But do not think I am happy about this decision… none of us like being left in the dark about these issues." The trio of taller pokémon looked at Team Star, and Grovyle sighed.

"We are just as hopeless as you guys are, don't look at us as if we hold hey key to solving your issues, alright? We've been doing all we can on our end too, and we've talked with him before: we're just telling you what he told us, that's all." A few more seconds of silence transpired before Eric got up.

"Fine then. We'll get going then. We've been travelling non-stop for two days, some rest will definitely help us clear our thoughts." He finally conceded and gave up… or at least he did so verbally, because they all got a different message through their psychic link.

" _And first thing in the morning, we'll go find Ferrus and ask him for help._ " They all agreed with this, hiding smirks of reassurance. They waved goodbye to their friends and left the room one by one, the last one out being Jake, who shot Dusknoir one last saddened look before closing the door behind him. They waited until the door closed and they were long gone before speaking again.

"They're going to try and find him themselves, you know that right? Especially now that you've mentioned it." The grass type turned to face the bigger pokémon, who sighed and sat down.

"I know… but I needed to try. They've already got enough on their plates with the Judges to get wrapped up in this."

"I just…" Celebi cut in. "I just don't know why I keep getting this feeling that… either way, it's all connected. The Judges, the legendaries and them… I can't be the only one that feels like this, right?" Her sense of dread spread to them once she said this, and they were unsure of what to answer. They could only hope that she wasn't right.

* * *

" _So… th_ _at_ _day is approaching._ "

A figure clad in a cloak leaned forward and opened the doors before him. One of the most hidden locations in the world, very few knew of its location… and none but him and two others were privileged to know its function. Still, there were more than three pokémon in that room then, all standing around a large hole in the ground, an empty pool. They wore nothing, and yet in their hands were knives and daggers, looking on into infinity, even as the pokémon walked into the room.

" _Then we must put everything into motion. They will be ensnared in our trap._ " The pokémon rose their knives to their neck… and slashed across them, lifeless bodies plummeting into the pool one by one, until it was full of both flesh, bone and blood. The blood seeped through indentations in the ground, making out patterns on the floor, flowing around a pedestal where a golden fragment lay, a deep green glow emanating.

" _We must sacrifice to advice… to progress… a sacrifice of flesh and blood…_ " The blood started glowing as the bodies decomposed and sunk into the muddy crimson liquid, tiny trails of energy flowing from the fragment, through the blood and into the pool, which started bubbling, shiftling with energy… with **life.**

"To create the one we need… of flesh and blood." A single limb rose from the pool as he said this. And he smiled.

He was satisfied.


	4. Chapter 2 - Exceptional

**Well, first of all I'd like to apologize this chapter came a week later than usual, I found myself too wrapped up in school work and couldn't fully concentrate on the chapter, but I have found a way to compensate for it, so look forward to it!**

With that quick apology out of the way, let's quickly jump into the reviews and a fast disclamer before the true show starts!

Only 2 reviews this time! Come on people, no need to be shy, just post your opinions and what you thought of the chapter, you've got nothing to lose, only to gain!

Luchux: Man, if you thought that was a lot, then you're in for a ride. Only one new thing was introduced (that being new characters) and yet I can understand that the way everything is intersecting can be staggering… but trust me, it's about to get crazier, just wait until this chapter.

 **WesternFail: The end is still very far off, my friend, so let's live in the present. And that present is… not that bright actually, especially for Elly, who seems to be in the Judges' sights… but there might be something else to this whole issue that we don't know of.**

 **Alakard was a blast to write, and do expect to see a lot more of him in the future, and same with Vincent, who… well, I won't say anything else. You've already read it after all. Once again, thanks a million for betaing this chapter, my friend.**

 **And just before we start, a disclaimer: any sort of ideological or religious debate that takes place in this fic, now, before and in the future is not a representation of my ideologies or beliefs. I am not willing to say what religion I follow (if any) or what ideology I choose. Team Star is a diverse group with each of it's members having diverse opinions, who will meet characters with opposing ideas or like minded. Please mind that this is all achieved for realism, and that ANY SORT OF DEBATE SPARKED BY THESE CONVERSATIONS IN THE REVIEW SECTION WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.**

 **Thank you for your understanding and enjoy the chapter**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Exceptional**

 _ **Deep inside, there's something special within each of us**_

The hotel Serge, Lucy and Nox had found was actually quite luxurious looking, and yet their association with Team Star made it so they got an affordable price, thanks to a thirty percent discount, which was certainly appreciated by all. The reception hall was huge, and where most of the activities took place: the rooms were already booked, so there was no need to stand in the long line that'd built up and was going past the waiting area, with tables, couches and armchairs, which had waiters walking about and taking orders from the customers waiting for their turn or simply relaxing there. To the left, a pair of closed glass wooden framed doors let one look into a large dining hall, with several round tables and even a stage for nightly events, and then to the right and left of the reception itself were flights of stairs that lead upwards and downwards to a basement area only staff were allowed in, whilst a corridor to the right took one to the rooms located on the bottom floor.

Their rooms were located on the third floor, and getting up there was a easy, albeit many compared this hotel with the one they'd been in during their multiversal vacation, and missed the commodity of the elevator or the fact that they could all stay in one single, giant room called a "suite". Still, their rooms right next to each other, so it wasn't all bad. Eric, Elly, Zed and Lucy would be staying in one room, whilst Nox, Serge and Jake would stay in the other. The first thing the former did once they got to their room was to play rock paper scissors in order to decide the order in which they could take a bath. Eric was the first, an offer he gladly took in order to relax and wash off the dirt from their trip there.

As he went into the bathroom and locked the door, Zed and Lucy turned to face Elly. "Are you doing alright?" Was the question that her concerned friend sent the Eevee's way.

She answered with a slow nod. "The initial shock has passed… I honestly don't know what came over me, it was… terrifying. It felt like being twelve again and completely alone… gosh, it was so strange…"

"It was probably because of the strange setting and the pressure from the encounter. That and the fact that you'd been digging through your memories to get there, as far as you told us." Zed's reasoning was sound, and the two girls agreed.

"Still, I just… can't help but feel ashamed something like that happened. It's almost as if… I wasn't myself, and instead I turned back into that mess of a furball I was before I met Eric."

"Did someone call me?" His voice came from inside the bathroom, where even with the water running thanks to the water system in the hotel, he could still hear everyone outside.

"Mind your own business, we're having a talk and you're not invited!" Lucy quickly answered with a shout and a smirk, which in turn made the Riolu annoyed.

"You shouldn't be like that… no wonder he's always messing with you." Elly advised her friend, but the Shinx rolled her eyes.

"I don't give a Ratatta's ass! If he lets it get to his head that's his problem, he knows I'm not being serious about it. Anyways, I never really got to meet that side of you… you've told me about it before, but I never actually saw it, you were always the one Eevee Army ever since I met you in person." The expression made the normal type giggle.

"One Eevee Army? That's a new one!" Both of them laughed, while Zed chimed in with a nervous laughter.

"Hehe… Well… yeah I did know her when she was like that, and… honestly she isn't as bad as she says, she was pretty strong… or at least much stronger than I am."

"Aww, come on don't get like that!" Lucy bumped him. "You've got your own strengths and weaknesses. So what if you stutter in public or can't speak up, you can hide as their best friends and clonk them in the back of the head!" She imitated the motion with his head. "Wham!" She miscalculated and ended up hitting him on accident, drawing a yelp of pain from him and a stream of apologies from his mate.

Elly meanwhile started laughing at the situation, feeling much better than before. "Well… this all certainly helps, but we still have to find a way solve all of this, and there are things that… well I need to speak with Eric, personally."

"Yeah, I understand that, just as well as there's stuff that you can only tell me and you can't tell him." Lucy's words rang true, and the two friends hugged each other, all while Zed whimpered trying to recover from the blow to the back of his head. They made small chat for a bit before Eric came out of the bathroom, telling Zed he was next, though before he went in they all heard shouts coming from the room next to theirs: Jake, Serge and Nox were having an argument, and didn't sound like something frivolous like who got to sleep where. "What is going on with those three?"

"Hell if I know… These walls are paper thin if we can hear them like that." They all stayed quiet and still for a bit to listen in to their conversation, though all they could understand was Jake once again 'grilling' Serge about keeping secrets from the team, which made Eric wince. "I think I'll keep that conversation for tomorrow… guy's not going to be in the mood to talk about it during dinner."

"Still, I don't understand why he hides things like these from us…. had he told us from the get-go that there was a chance bounty hunters could go after him, we wouldn't have freaked out this much." The sound of the bathroom door closing interrupted the Eevee, but she finished her sentence and earned herself a scoff from Lucy.

"Wait, you actually believe him?" The couple looked at her. "Oh come on, really? It's obvious that he lies more than he breathes, how can you believe him with all of that?!"

"Well, what are we supposed to do then? He's explained everything that's happened, and it makes sense. If we don't trust each other then we might as well be dead and buried, because out there the only thing that keeps us alive is trust."

"Pche… yeah right." Lucy laid on her back and crossed her arms.

"What's your problem now?" Eric's voice came off as a bit too aggressive for Elly's liking, who tried to quell him.

"Nothing, just that what you said is stupid." The electric type definitely wasn't helping either.

"Ok, let's calm down… look I agree that we need to trust Serge, Eric, but he also needs to trust **us** with his secrets, and so far it seems that he hasn't been able to do that. He keeps on hiding stuff from us that we really should know about and could save us some hassle." Elly stepped in between and defused the situation.

"Exactly, what's what I was getting at! I tell you guys everything important that could be of importance to the team, I don't go around hiding the fact I have assassins creeping up on me, now do I? And Zed doesn't hide any secrets from you either, now does he, Eric? That's why you two are great friends, because he trusts you and you trust him. But Serge… Serge's always hiding something! He looked like a pretty boy but it turned out that he was neck deep in debt with mafias!"

"Ok, I get it, but at this you're just bad mouthing him, and that's something that I've found you exceed at: bad mouthing others when they aren't there."

"Hey, I only say the truth, ok?!"

"Oh yeah, and I'm saying the truth too, because I've caught you red pawed and told you about it, and it's this type of behavior that makes these situations so difficult in the first place!"

"Stop it!" Elly interrupted the two. "Look, we'll talk with him about this and try to get the truth out. And if he tries to hide something else from us that we label as important then we'll do what we must, alright?! Just… please, this is the last thing I need right now." The two pokémon looked at each other, and although Eric sighed and gave up on the discussion, Lucy showed signs of being more than ready to continue, even with her friend having already stated she didn't want to. And she noticed this. "Lucy, can you please listen to me once and stop?!"

"I can't… Agh! Fine, whatever, do what you want!" She slammed into her bed and looked away from her friend, and thankfully Zed came out a few minutes later, prompting the Shinx to go into the bathroom and slam the door behind her, confusing Zed, who looked at the others.

"D-did something happen?"

* * *

Nox was busy taking a bath, or rather tipping this paws into the water to check if it was hot enough for him, which meant it had to be scalding hot, and kept heating it. Serge and Jake were already done washing, and were just lounging around the room, Serge looking at the ceiling with his wings crossed behind him and Jake reading a book. The silence between them didn't last too long though, with Nox gone for the time being, Jake shut his book and rose from the bed.

"So it seems you were hiding something else from the team, weren't you?" His words didn't get a verbal response for the longest time, only a snicker and the sound of Serge rolling onto his side on the bed.

"Buzz off Jake."

"I will not. This is two times that I've caught you blatantly lying, Serge."

"Oh yeah, and what would the first one be?"

"The fact that you've been influencing the wind in our favour, no matter where we are." The Pidgeot didn't shift, but his breathing suddenly stopped as the Sneasel's words pushed it all out with force, and Jake knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "I started having my suspicions after your… excursion to rescue Eric and Elly in the other world, and I rewatched that footage many times. Some considered it to be just a visual glitch, but I knew otherwise. After that, I distinctly remember your wing faintly glowing on that misty morning I departed for individual mission, and ever since whenever we've sailed to other regions the wind has favoured us, at least whenever you were included in those expeditions."

Serge turned around to face the ice type again, an easily visible scowl on his face. "And besides, your flying is too smooth, especially at extreme heights, where normally the wind and other weather related phenomena would make flying difficult, or at least strenuous, and yet you move with grace and freedom. Many would have considered it to be good luck… but I know better." The scowl was slowly replaced with a deviant smile, and Serge rose his wing to point at him.

"Alright, I'll give you that one."

"So you admit to it?"

"Maybe I am… I will as long as you admit that your control over ice isn't exactly typical either. Those icicles you summon and how they float, and that cold air around you… I don't know about you pal, but that's not natural either."

"I never said I was normal."

"But you've never admit to it, did you? Or how about Nox's flames and how hot they are? That's not normal either, or maybe Lucy's speed, because let's be honest here, at last for me, she tends to become a blur when she runs, and let's not forget Zed's uncanny ability to shapeshift into any pokémon he wants, like a Ditto…"

It was Jake's turn to look at him gravely. "What are you implying?"

"I'm not saying we don't all have our secrets, which, let's be honest, is true, I know you are keeping secrets from us, but… We are all… how do you say… exceptional. One way or another, there's something about us that just makes us special. Sure, maybe MY abilities are a bit more… noticeable and powerful than the rest of you… except for Eric and Elly of course, but that doesn't make me into a bad guy, now does it?"

"I was never implying any of the sorts. However, unlike them, you haven't openly admitted to having these abilities." His words struck Serge again. "If the team knew of these capacities, we could implement them into our strategies and probably come out on top in situations that we previously wouldn't be able to."

Serge hummed and sat up, mockingly rubbing his chin and making it look like he was giving it some thought. "How about… No!" And he laid back down. "Sorry pal, but I like keeping my secrets and aces up my sleeves. I will give you something though: my powers are very different than yours." He waved his wing and a gust of wind blew in through the open window, blowing the curtains and whistling around them, opening Jake's book and leaving it in the same page he'd been reading mere seconds ago. "And we are all the same… we're all keeping those little secrets and aces up our sleeves, even if we don't know it… It's kind of like showing your junk, you know? Even with friends, you don't go around showing your stuff to them, now do you?"

"...There were billions of comparisons that would've gotten the point across without being so crass."

"C'mon Ice, humour me a bit will ya, and wipe that frown off your face! Besides, the message got through, didn't it? That's what matters in the end." He coughed and got up. "Ugh, my throat is dry… think they'll have a mini-bar downstairs? I'd kill for a drink."

Serge's tactics to change the conversation topic weren't eloquent, but what they lacked in that field they made up for in efficiency, as the attention was suddenly turned onto alcoholic drinks. "We will be going to dinner soon, after the others are ready preparing and Nox finished with his bath… if he may grace us with his presence and hasten his hygiene!"

"Hey, fuck off Jake! It's not my fault that I feel like the water's freezing cold half of the time!"

"In moments of hurry like these I have bathed in hot water if it meant that this process could go quicker!"

"That's because yoooouuuu are aaaan…" The door swung open as he came out with a towel over him, dripping onto the floor. "Asshole!"

"Oh hey, you're finally done, took you long enough kiddo."

"Not you too!"

"If I may intervene before this devolves into another of your quote on quote, 'discussions', it might be best if Nox dried himself in the bathroom instead of getting the floor wet, and consequently, we might enjoy dinner, because apparently unlike you, I am quite famished."

"Dude, you always look famished, you're so thin we can see right through you!"

"That… does not make any sense." The joke flew over the ice type's head, which onlyamused the other two further. Nox dried himself quickly and walked out of the bathroom looking like a ball of fur, something Serge helped him fix. The trio headed out to the hallway and knocked on the other's door.

"Hold on!" A voice, which they recognized as Eric, responded from the inside, and the Riolu opened the door shortly afterwards. "Oh, you're all done?"

"Yeah, it was only three of us… hadn't Nox taken so long to heat up the water for himself we would've been done earlier." Nox gave up when Serge said that, as he knew nobody understood him when it came to taking baths with cold water.

"Alright then… We're just about ready too." The fighting type and his best friend walked out of the room, the Zorua's fur looking properly combed, and even the little fur tuft on his forehead had been groomed to near perfection… something he probably didn't like and that Nox didn't take too long to point out.

"Woah, what is that on your forehead?! It looks like another head!" Instinctively, the shiny pokémon cowered away and hid his face, tempted to mess the fur intentionally.

Nox was promptly silenced by a well deserved hit to the back of his head from Serge's wing. "Don't be like that man, I think it's pretty good! Nice hairstyle!"

"Says the guy that throws back his feathers all the time…" Another slap cut off the Houndour. Serge was willing to take any offence to himself, but if anyone dared say anything about his 'hair' they were in deep trouble. Zed didn't know how to handle all of it, but he still decided to mess up his fur a bit, making it less pointy. Elly and Lucy came out shortly after, looking absolutely beautiful, or at least according to their mates they were, the Eevee wearing a pretty white bow on her head and the Shinx having groomed her fur for once.

"Alright, so everyone's ready then?" They all nodded simultaneously and after checking the rooms were locked headed to the stairwell.

"Man, it's been like three days since we haven't had a proper meal, I'm gonna eat so much there'll be nothing left for ya guys!" Nox said this with a big smile on his face, making the Riolu glance his way.

"Is that a challenge?"

"Oh come on, not this again. You're more mature than this, and I will NOT have you getting an indigestion again, especially while we're staying in Cunabula." Elly cut in to make sure no other catastrophes would take place like the aforementioned one, but it seemed that Eric and Nox had already made their minds and placed a bet. "Eric!"

"Don't worry, I'll be careful this time, I promise that won't happen again."

"Your words are incredibly reassuring." Elly's sarcasm was so obvious even Jake caught on.

"Furthermore, that would most likely get us kicked out of the hotel if you were to eat all the food. And do not attempt to steal it like last time, lest you'll end up with more than your paws frozen solid to the table." Now this last part nobody could agree on, but even then they laughed and continued onward to the dining hall, descending the stairs in pairs and walking inside. Eric gave the pokémon at the entrance their room number and showed them their keys so as they knew they were guests in that Hotel, and they walked in.

The hall wasn't huge, not even close to the hotel they'd gone to a few months prior in that other world, but it was quite luxurious looking, massive chandeliers hanging above their heads, illuminating the room quite well, almost as if it were dawn, and a large stage at the front had musicians playing a slow ballad to accompany the dinner. Serge gagged as he walked in and inspected their surroundings. "Yuck. Aristocracy." A chuckle was his response as he pointed at an empty round table at the far right, near a window, which they approached by sticking to the outer edges of the room, so that way they couldn't be pointed and laughed at for not wearing those expensive looking clothes, and also the fact that Serge's voluminous body would've most likely knocked down someone.

"Why do they have to put them so close together? There's barely any breathing space here, what's a guy like me supposed to do?"

"Exercise?" Lucy's response came quick and struck its mark like a thunderbolt, the crack being the laughter of her companions, who chuckled or giggled.

"I already said I'm big boned!" His pride didn't let him admit that it was a good joke, and instead rushed over to the table and sat down near the window, so that way he had some space to move around and wouldn't bump against someone should he get up. The others did the same, from left to right where Serge had sat down, Nox, Eric, Elly, Lucy, Zed and Jake. Once everyone was properly set and they looked prepared, an Ampharos with a waiter's attire approached, bowing and handing them some papers with the night's menu and asking them what they'd like to order to drink.

" _Geez… this is so much like that human world, isn't it?_ " Nox decided to use their psychic link to avoid sounding disrespectful, a slimmer of tact that the others didn't ignore.

" _Wearing stupid drapes over their bodies doesn't seem to be the only thing they're trying to copy from humans… how are am I even supposed to grab this silverware?_ " The whole setting was mostly alien to them, and already they could feel the pressure of being in a public environment with no clear idea of what was wrong or right. They quickly ordered and the waiter walked away without saying a word, leaving the group to their musings.

"It's almost scary how this has all picked up wind in just a short year. It feels like we never even left that world to begin with, which wasn't exactly the idea I had of coming back home." Eric observed.

Elly used her psychic powers to put the napkin on her neck and did the same with Eric's lap. "Well, they've got mostly Slew to thank for that… with all of their archeological discoveries about human customs and society, Cunabula's been adopting them."

"But that's so dumb! We're not humans, we're pokémon!" Nox was promptly hushed by the others, advising him to keep his voice down.

"It is absolutely ridiculous… if they knew the horrible things humans did to pokémon then this whole business would probably stop."

"But that's not gonna happen… I doubt we'll ever be able to convince anyone of what we saw in that other world… and what we went through." Eric still had scars from that whole affair, whilst Elly had obviously kept her venomous spite towards most of the race, though she would acknowledge that there were some humans that were worthy of her sympathy, like their generous hosts during their stay in that world.

"Geez, why'd you have to bring that up… now I'm getting memories of that rescue." Serge shivered and rubbed his sides.

"I thought that was cool. I mean, you looked like an absolute badass on the TV, fighting that Hydreigon!" Nox was hushed once more. "Oi, I'm keeping my voice down, this is as low as I can get!

"Then whisper from now on, you ponce! And I would rather not talk about all of that… It has been three months since our return, and while I do not intend on forgetting all that happened, we have much more pressing matters." Jake's intervention came exactly when the same Ampharos came back with a bottle of wine, another of water and some berry juice. Once everyone got what they wanted Jake took a sip from his glass and continued. "Like figuring out a way to bring down the Judges."

"Well… in all honesty, am I the only one that thinks this whole thing's bigger than us?" Serge was the first to answer, and earned himself a furious glare from Elly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, if there's anyone who can do it, it's us, but… literally, what are we going to do? We're as relevant as a zero on the left, and… _To be honest, the fact that they've got you in their sights doesn't help any of this either._ " He had to finish the rest of that sentence through their psychic link, just as to not raise any suspicions.

"I know… but that only makes me more willing to do something about it! They're looking for whoever Blake's offspring is, so this is a personal matter no matter which way you slice it."

"But he's got a point." Eric cut off his mate. "Our influence has tanked, especially out here where we aren't that active, no doubt thanks to the impostor teams that sprung up during our disappearance. But we said we were going to solve this and that's what we're going to do: we just need to find a way to become relevant again, get people to listen to us and maybe we'll convince a few pokémon to not swallow all the lies the Judges spew But if it's ok with you, I'd rather have a peaceful dinner and talk about other things, and treat this all later or tomorrow." The appetizers came in as he said this, and they all dug in, making small talk for the time being, avoiding the main topic.

"Well… not everything is bad. I was happy to finally meet Dusknoir and the others." Zed spoke up first, which brought a beaming smile to Lucy's face

"Oh, I know right?! He was so big, I didn't expect him to be so massive!"

"The advantages of being brought up in such an aggressive world, I suppose: his training was intense for a very young age. But he's not only physically strong, but also quite intelligent." It didn't take Jake long to start singing his former master's praises.

"Well… correct me if I'm wrong but… didn't Grovyle, Celebi and Eric outsmart him like a dozen times or something like that?" Nox's inquiry promptly silenced Jake, which made everyone laugh.

"Well… for starters, this is true. He is not a perfect 'mon, far from it in fact… and where did you gather that information?"

"That might've been my fault… He keeps asking me about him, so I told him about all that." Eric filled with his mouth with food after that, earning himself a slap to the back of the head from Elly.

"Not so much! Smaller portions!" He groaned and listened to her. "And yes, it was definitely pleasant to finally see them all again. Celebi and Grovyle looked much better than the last time we'd seen them too… Gosh, three years it took us to meet up again."

"Well, it'd make sense, right? It's a normal pokémon that's gotten in a relationship with a legendary, so they had to sort some stuff out beforehand. Ugh, must've been a pain to go through so many hoops just to get together." Lucy had found a way to handle her silverware with both paws, but it was extremely inefficient and the berries kept rolling out from underneath her fork and all over the plate.

"Well… they're in love, right? That's all the reason they needed to go through all of that, just so they could be together in peace." Zed was the one to answer, and his mate rolled her eyes.

"I still think it's annoying."

"Well, I have to agree with Lucy on this one: you have to be really desperate to go through legendaries just to get together with someone… but I won't judge, I've done dumber things in my life. Also, was it just me or was Dusknoir's room… really luxurious, considering he's a criminal?" Serge's observation was true: for it being a cell it was actually very well kept, clean and luxuries such as books and tables to eat on.

"That would most likely be both thanks to Ferrus' intervention and the complexity of his sentence: he was one of the biggest of Dialga's enforcers during the lost future, but in the end he contributed to restoring the flow of time." Jake was being careful with his food, slowly eating and chipping away at the salad in the middle of the table. "While the others attempted to stay in power, he turned himself in because he couldn't handle the guilt. Some still haven't, and will never forgive him for the lives he took, and he's ok with that… but others understood that he'd realized the wrong in his ways and had tried to remedy it, hence why this was the decision they reached. In fact, he mentioned Ferrus was working on granting him the third degree and some freedom to walk around Cunabula, at the very least, or transfer him to Treasure Town so he's closer to us."

"Really? That's great news! Why didn't you tell us earlier, we could've congratulated him!" Elly's exclamation was backed up by the others, and the Sneasel merely closed his eyes.

"I forgot to do so… I may have been caught up in Serge's actions and I forgot."

"Oh come on!"

"Alright, let's just drop that topic already before we devolve into another discussion… and we will probably visit him again before we leave for home again, so we'll-"

"Oh, what a surprise!" A familiar voice interrupted the Riolu, and everyone turned to face the source: a Roselia clad in a luxurious black and purple suit was looking at them from behind Lucy and Zed. Nobody recognized him for a second, but eventually Elly noticed who it was.

"Vincent?"

"That is correct, my fair lady Elly! How are my wonderful benefactors doing on this fine evening! I must say, I am shocked to see you all here tonight! I did not know you were planning on staying the night, let alone in the very same hotel I will be in!"

"Wait… really? You're staying here too?" Eric inquired, though already he could hear other voices in his head.

" _Here we go again… Where in the world did he get that suit? If that is his attempt at looking dapper, I must say it is a spectacular failure."_

" _I don't know but he looks ridiculous in it! I wonder what would happen if I shocked him."_

" _Quiet you two, and stop talking through the link!"_ Eric quickly ordered Lucy and Jake to stop distracting him as Vincent kept going on and on about the wonderful coincidence this was, and asked if he could sit down and join them for dinner that night.

"Well, umm…" Eric had every intention in the world to try and tell him to go away in a polite way, but Serge thought otherwise.

"Of course, come on, sit down and I'll order another bottle of wine for you!" Everyone glared daggers at the Pidgeot at the same time, but it was too late.

"Oh, that is wonderful! Well, if you will excuse me…" He walked over to another table to grab a chair, leaving them alone for a short time.

"Serge, what the hell?! Why'd you do that?" Eric had to speak in a low voice to keep himself from being heard.

"What? He's a cool guy! Besides, all the costs are included so we aren't going to have to pay anything outside of whatever we drink."

"Well, excuse me if I sound rude, but I do believe that you will promptly ruin Team Star tonight with the amount of alcohol you two will drink." Serge didn't have time to respond to Jake before Vincent came in.

"Excuse me~" He came in with a sing song voice and managed to squeeze into the spot between Jake and Serge, and while the Pidgeot looked absolutely delighted and served a cup to the grass type, the others were looking at him with a mixture of confusion and mild annoyance. Still, his smile did not disappear. "Soooooo… How are you all doing?" He wiggled in his seat, something about his mannerisms coming off as very, very awkward.

"Well…" Elly spoke up. "We're doing… just fine I suppose? We had to stay here because it got late and we were sick of sleeping under trees, and they gave us a discount for being an exploration team."

"Oh, I can totally understand that. There's nothing quite like sleeping with a roof above your head and in a warm bed, correct? I too had to sleep in very deplorable conditions while I made my way here… but at least I did not have to travel far, since I was in the region at the time."

Lucy chuckled. "Lucky! We had to take a ship just to get here and come from Flumerc Ars!"

"Goodness, Flumerc Ars! That is far away! What region do you come too?"

"Sinnoh." Eric was the quickest to answer, since he thought there wasn't a need to hide that information.

"From Sinnoh? My my… that is very far away! It must've taken you a long time to get here, the winds certainly haven't favoured many mariners lately." Serge kept quiet because of this, though he hid his worries behind that glass of wine. "Well, no matter, you must've had a terribly pressing matter to attend to if you had to come to Kanto… I won't intrude, however! I am a man who respects the privacy of others, though I do sincerely hope you respect mine."

"That's comprehensible…" Serge put down his glass. "So! What about you?"

"Me?"

"Yes! The only thing we know about you is your name!"

"Oh, that is quite correct indeed… though let me try and remember what your names were, just so I'm not confused…" He named each of the members one by one, and once he'd gotten their names down he began. "Well, as I said this morning, I am Vincent. I am a traveller, and came here for a certain business with an old friend of mine, which I hadn't seen in an awful long time. It was quite a reunion, and I was paid for my services, which allowed me to get…" He got up and showed off his suit. "This beautiful thing! What do you think?" The others praised and congratulated him for his tastes, even though nobody really though the suit was that beautiful to begin with.

"Well, beyond your… attire, what else is there to you?" Jake was interested to know whether or not the pokémon before them had any real substance or was just as vapid and conceited as he appeared to be.

"Well… While I cannot exactly describe what my line of work involves, it too involves bringing criminals to justice, so there is something else we have in common… beyond that, I was born in Johto, and have never really left this continent, as I have found no reason to do so, hence why I was so mesmerized when you said you came from across the sea… though looking back, it was obvious, as your accents give you away."

"Oh, they do?" Elly was legitimately curious to hear what Vincent had to say about their accents, but already the others were already dropping their opinions about the grass type.

" _Holy shit he's so full of it._ " Came Lucy's comment, which made Nox snicker, confusing Vincent before he spoke up.

"Well, let me see… Most of your accents are distinctively Sinnohsian, but there are some I simply cannot place… like yours." He faced Jake. "There is something about your rhythm and the way you speak that is alien to me, almost as if you came from a different time…" He turned to Nox after that. "Your accent and matter of speech is broad and colloquial… pardon my comparison, but at times you have reminded me of a Hoenian… and finally, Serge is clearly from Johto, your accent is incredibly reminiscent of some villages high between the mountains, which I've had the pleasure to visit and by Arceus they are **gorgeous**!" He looked around. "Well? Am I right?"

"You… aren't that far off the mark, actually. Though… my accent is weird because I travel a lot." Serge rubbed the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with that wild guess.

"Then again, all of that information is incredibly obvious, and could have been gained through different means other than the raw power of observation… but you do indeed pay attention to minute details that most, and I would hazard a guess that this is related to your profession." Jake's observation made the grass type chuckle.

"You are correct, to an extent… but that's all I want to say for the time being, they always say to never bring your work home, now do they? I'm sure that none of us want to get into a boring conversation about the way we make money, right? Instead, let's enjoy the upcoming feast and enjoy life, shall we? We have a lot to celebrate: life itself!" He let out a hearty laugh, and the others at the very least chuckled along.

" _Gosh he's so full of it…_ "

" _Well, he doesn't look like a bad guy to me… and Serge's getting along just fine! About time you made some friends!"_

" _Zip it you lot. He's a swell guy, that's for damn sure, but… there's something else about 'im."_ He didn't say anything after that, but the other team members kept a close eye on the grass type for the rest of the dinner. He was quite knowledgeable, but nowhere close to the raw information that Jake had access to from just memory, but quickly both of them and Elly got involved in a heated philosophical debate.

"So you do think that consciousness isn't something else?" Elly inquired taking a bite out of her food, an overly complicated dish the flavour of which was too intense to process what it was they were eating, but from the looks of it it seemed to be roasted vegetables cooked in a creamy sauce.

"Well… take for example, this dish. Now, the flavour is probably too intense for you, but let us focus on that, the taste, and whether you like it or not, if you find it intense or soft, if it is good or bad… There are objective criteria, like its consistency, its density, whether it's burnt or not… but even then, it's all up to personal preference, but what is that personal preference? What makes your taste buds like something and reject another? I believe it to be something akin to genetics: we are born with certain likes and dislikes."

"But then why is that these preferences can change with age? Certain products that we may have not enjoyed at first become preferable in later ages, and…" Jake's reasoning was eventually cut off not by the collective snoring of the rest of the table, but rather a sharp scream from across the hall. Essentially all the pokémon rose and looked at the source, where one of the pokémon had fallen against the shiny Ampharos waiter, dropping all of the glasses and bottles on the floor and making the waiter fall over. While the pokémon in the suit was fine, the waiter's arm was covered in cuts and blood, and it looked like those were the first of his issues, as the party goer started shouting and blaming the poor electric type for it.

Everyone in the hall was baffled at the scene before them, and the abusive pokémon, a Golduck, didn't show any signs of letting up on their verbal abuse, and no one had any desire to get up and stop them. Vincent looked at the scene, almost mesmerized as a dangerous look flashed through his eyes, but was quickly replaced by his permanent gleeful smile and turned to face Team Star. "Well… are you going to do something? That poor pokémon is being mistreated!"

They all turned to look at him as if he were crazy, and their eyes had all the meaning that he could've ever needed. "Then allow me to intervene." He placed his napkin on the table and calmly got up and snaked his way between the tables.

"Vincent! Where are you going?! Don't!" Serge's shouts were an indication of how much he was regretting his decision of inviting the grass type over to their table even more now. There was something in his pace, determined, stomping the ground with confidence with that smile on his face, one that could either be of peace or absolute madness, or perhaps the in-between, none of them knew. He appeared as too much of a wild card currently, and so they were tense, ready to spring in case things got out of control.

"...and I'll make sure you and your family never work in any of this city's glorious businesses, you got that?! Now, where is the hotel manager?" He turned around and found himself facing Vincent, clad in that luxurious looking suit and that smile, his strategy worked, as his true nature was revealed to those who knew who the Roselia really was.

"What seems to be the problem, sir?" The grass type immediately asserted himself as an authority, and no doubt, this development confused everyone, even Jake.

"About time! Look! Look at this mess!" He grabbed Vincent by the wrist and pulled him closer to inspect the Ampharos, who was still stuck in that mess. To make matters worse, he was a shiny, but Vincent did not mind, keeping that smile as he shifted between the customer and the waiter. "Why do you hire this trash in this hotel, huh?! Look at this suit!" He essentially forced the grass type to look down, and sure enough, the pants were absolutely soaked. "This suit cost more than double… no, triple of what this bumbling idiot earns a year, and he dared sully it with all of this?! Outrageous! I demand a refund!"

"Now now, sir, I am afraid that such an inconvenience is not reason enough to become so outraged… but if you will allow me…" He crouched down and got next to the Ampharos, whispering something into their ear and taking a hold of their arm. They winced in pain, their eyes widening afterwards, looking at Vincent in shock, then at his arm, then back at Vincent. After that extremely brief exchange, the Ampharos got up, holding their arm, who while bloody… looked much better than before. In fact… it looked perfectly fine, all signs of damage outside of the blood are gone.

"I have sent him to sign his resignation and to get you a new bottle of wine sir… one I will personally serve you, if I must. We aim to give the highest quality service to such distinguishable customers, after all!" Everyone in Team Star soon realized what had happened, and stared at the scene dumbfounded.

" _Fuck me… don't tell me he's…"_

" _A con artist."_

The deceiver's words pleased the Golduck, who smiled and agreed wholly with him, the two make small talk until another waitress, a Flaffy this time, brought a bottle of wine which Vincent thanked her for and opened himself. "There we go!" He exclaimed as the tap popped out and served the cup for the Golduck, handing it to him by grabbing it from the top, his hand covering the actual liquid. "May you enjoy the rest of your dinner sir!"

"I will… but I still demand my refund! My suit was ruined after all!"

"But of course, but please, do enjoy the meal… and you will have to present yourself in the main hall to discuss these matters, so please do so after dinner is over. Thank you very much for your patronage!" And with that, everything was back to ordinary, and Vincent saluted and smiled at the pokémon he went by, until he returned to Team Star's table, who looked at him in a mixture of silent awe, contempt and amusement. "Well… that was quick, was it not?"

"You sneaky son of a b-"

"Atata…" Vincent was still looking away from Eric, looking at the Golduck he'd just served wine to. "Hold on, the best is yet to come…" A giggling fit overcame him as the water type drank the whole thing down in one go… and for the first few minutes, everything seemed fine… until he suddenly shouted and stood up, looking alarmed and at his pants… and without a second word he dashed out of the room, walking in a funny way with his legs spread and a maddening blush and look in his eyes, almost as if something dumbfounding had just happened. Nobody understood what had happened until whispers of a foul smell near the area spread through the dining hall and reached Team Star's table.

"And it is complete!" He clasped his hands together, overly optimistic. "I think that you will find this whole thing satisfactory… you inquired about my profession earlier in the night, correct? Then behold, just one of the many skills I myself have perfected over the years."

"You bastard… you did that this morning too, didn't you? Made a scene so that you could get past the guards without raising suspicions." Eric finally got to finish his sentence, and the Roselia simply looked at him.

"But of course not! I had no way of knowing you were coming, now did I? Besides, you will have to agree that the soldier was being extremely rude to myself for no reason outside of my humble clothing. And turning to this most recent event… I merely did this to guarantee the safety of that pokémon's spot in this hotel and teach that aristocratic garbage a lesson… I cannot, for the life of me, stand individuals such as those… gloating in their riches and looking down at those in need with scorn."

"Yeah, right, guarantee his safety… I don't know how you did it, but you definitely had him and that Flaffy in your pocket dude." Nox was trying to play detective for once… and it showed, as Vincent shot him an inquiring look that demanded him to follow up with that accusation. "Ummm… you faked the blood and the accident!"

"And of course he faked the screaming and the wounds too…" His calm response was rebutted by Jake.

"And yet nobody saw them at any point in time, and when I glanced at his arm lo and behold, it was perfectly fine, not a scratch from the which the blood could have seeped out."

"And yet you don't have any proof that the wounds weren't there and you simply didn't notice them. Ask someone nearby, and they will tell you something clearly different. You're still to prove I did something illegal."

"Well… that guy literally got up running right after you served him that glass… so he's going to know you did something!" Eric joined in, but Elly was already two steps ahead of him.

"Anyone can get an indigestion like that because they weren't feeling so hot… and I doubt we could ever prove there was anything in the glass."

"Which there wasn't, just so you know… I did not have the time to put anything in it, now did I? And the bottle was opened right in front of your eyes too. Oh, and if you're thinking on blaming either of those waiters… don't, they know nothing about this, and have not been paid to follow through with my orders. This was, as you say, a one man operation." Vincent seemed to be quite happy with this outcome, something that while it didn't anger Team Star, it certainly frustrated them.

"Well… whatever the case, you have to admit that was pretty impressive. Right?" Serge looked at everyone around the table, as if asking for approval… but he didn't find anything else outside from looks of contempt, though Vincent laughed.

"Oh, at least someone gets it! And really do not get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this dinner with all of you, you were the friendliest pokémon in this room, of that I am sure, and very genuine too… But allow me to get one thing straight." He leaned forward, and his voice became a whisper, loud enough to be heard by all. "I have not used these skills for harm, as you've clearly seen… if anything, I have been just, and done something that none of you were willing to do because of your own public image and whatever repercussions may have come from it… What does that say about all of you?" His question went right through them, shivers going down their spines, as not even Eric or Elly were capable of answering that question immediately.

They had dessert in silence, not even Serge spoke up when Vincent commented on how sweet the chocolate was, and Elly still hadn't had a bite of her cake… at least not until she'd come up with an answer. "You know… you're right there. We didn't do anything, because we're already in a bad situation… We should've gotten up and done something to at least assist you, but… we didn't."

"This place is getting to us, isn't it?" Nox asked, everyone else nodding in agreement.

"So then you see it from my point of view? Well, finally… I may have to reconsider my opinion about all of you then." Vincent's air of superiority was still getting under Eric's skin, who rose up and faced him.

"Stop gloating so much! We have much bigger concerns than you know, and getting involved in street brawls or disputes like that one isn't a way for us to get a good influence here."

"Oh? So then you do care about your public image only?"

"No, but…"

"The fact that you all remained with your arms crossed and didn't intervene is clear enough of what your actions are. In fact, you tried to keep me from intervening, scared that my actions would shame you. The fact that you're in such a state of denial is proof of your pride: you're unable to accept the fact I'm right and you're wrong for not having jumped to aid that innocent pokémon, admit it!" The grass type's smile only grew wider as he spread his arms, his air of superiority becoming even stronger, annoying the rest of the members.

"I…"

"You may have very well been considered heroes, and you may still be heroes… but first impressions are incredibly important in this world, my friends." He grabbed the collar of his suit, driving his point further. "And most of you have done a terrible first impression me. Luckily, I won't communicate your failure anytime soon.. but should you try to wrong me, perhaps you may gain a bit of bad press."

"Are you… blackmailing us?!"

"Not necessarily. What I am doing is trying to help you… in my own, unique way, I suppose. Please, do try and consider my words and my advice, you may learn a thing or two."

"You're a rook, what have we to gain from you outside of your deviousness?" Jake asked with scorn.

"Now now, rook, while accurate, is perhaps too strong… the words "con artist" and "white collar thief" come to mind, but then again they don't particularly define me… Whatever the case, you have no proof, and with no proof, no case. And of course, you don't expect that just because you're the once great Team Star, should you grab a hold of me and carry me to the nearest police station, they would simply detain me, no questions asked, correct?" By this point it was more than obvious that this wasn't the first time Vincent had run into a situation like this, and none were too happy about this development.

"But please… let us take a few steps back and reintroduce ourselves and what we want. I am not here to be your enemy or someone who blackmails you… all I want is for you to notice a severe mistake in your conduct and fix it, that is all. Staying within the limits of a corrupt law doesn't make said law right, now does it? The rich don't have the power to yell and abuse the poor just because they're poor, right?" His question wasn't a rhetorical one, and morally, they all knew the answer. "Right… but if there was a law that permitted it, what would **you** do? Follow the law… or do what is right?"

"This is a strictly hypothetical isn't it?" Elly cut in with a question of her own, unsure of where he was going with this.

"It depends on your view… but please, do not think about this in such a heated state. Let us enjoy the rest of the night with some drinks and refreshments, think this overnight, and come back tomorrow to discuss these issues more thoroughly." The tone of his voice and his smile made it clear that this wasn't up for debate, but rather was a friendly order, and no one in the team liked it. Already, he was earning himself insults and names from the team members through their psychic link.

" _Smart asshole… I want to fry his stupid dress so bad!"_

" _How could I have not foreseen all of this… I should have noticed all of this sooner, my sincerest apologies_."

" _Eh… it's alright, at least you aren't the guy that invited him over… sorry about that by the way._ "

" _There wasn't any way for you to know he was going to do that, Serge… Eric, are you alright?_ "

" _I'm… fine, I suppose. This guy can't get away with it. I don't care if what he did was right or wrong, but he was definitely doing it because he wanted power over us… And I'm starting to think he might be more than he looks like._ " The Riolu's words made sirens go off in their minds: the possibility of him being an actual enemy hadn't crossed their minds, and yet here he was, gloating in his success.

" _Shit man… what now?! He's totally got us, and he ain't gonna let us go!_ "

" _Calm down, Nox… as Eric said, it's just a theory… and I personally have my doubts. He's also… kind of right, in a sense. None of us had any intention of helping that poor pokémon because we were afraid of making a scene, so he's in his right to criticize us for it._ "

" _Elly is right… We are the ones at fault._ "

" _Like hell we are. How can you two say that about a criminal? He's manipulating all of you!_ " Eric shot accusatory glances at his mate and best friend, and after that the conversation died out. They didn't physically speak unless they needed to, and slowly their anger subsided, though they were still on guard around Vincent, who didn't seem to have any intentions of leaving anytime soon. Fortunately, their long discussion made time fly, and eventually that Ampharos waited walked over to the table to politely ask them to leave. He didn't recognize Team Star, but he did recognize Vincent, grabbing his hands and uttering a million thanks, tears on the verge of his eyes as he got down on his knees and praised him for his actions.

"No need to thank me… It was the right thing to do after all." Eric clenched his fist when Vincent said this, his head spinning around his words. They left the dining hall… but that was fortunately not the end of their nightly excursion, as there was yet another commotion in the main hall.

"Coming through! Sorry, flowers for a lady! Watch out pal!" Someone kept pushing and shouting aside the residents of the hotel, and were hiding themselves behind a pile of bouquets, chocolate boxes and leaves, confusing everyone, and alarming Vincent.

"My world! All those plants! You maniac, how could you do something so despicable!" The grass type's reaction came as a shock to everyone, Team Star looking at him with confused looks, and the so called "murderer" stopped in his tracks and looked around… revealing an ever so familiar Blaziken.

( **Our Secret Word is Justice! ~ Bobby Fulbright - Ace Attorney)**

"Alakard?!" They all asked in unison, even Vincent, who was aware of his title and rank, and seemed to grow uncomfortable.

"Oh! There you are! I…" He trudged over. "Have been… looking for all of you, specially miss Elly over here!" Up close, the mountain of flowers and gifts was much bigger than from a distance. "And hello again, Jake, has your headache subdued? If not, then worry not, for I have brought you some medicine that will most likely help with your pains!" Jake looked at the Blaziken, then at his friends, giving them a deadpan glare.

" _Please… end my miserable existence._ "

"Right… well, it is a pleasure to see you again, Alakard…" Elly chuckled nervously as Vincent tried to slip away, though was promptly caught by Eric, who held his sleeve and pulled him closer, having noticed his reaction around the high ranking officer. "But why have been looking for me all day?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? To give you these flowers!" He just shouted those words in the middle of the hall, making the scene even more awkward than it already was, Zed having already curled up into a black ball of fur, hiding his shiny features.

"Umm… why?" There was a slightly threatening undertone in Eric's voice, which Vincent noticed by giving him an elbow to the side, which in turn annoyed the Riolu further.

"Oh, don't worry, mister Eric, as lovely as your mate is, I am not here to steal Miss Elizabeth away! I simply wanted to make her feel better, as the last time I'd seen them she was crying and looked completely distressed, I thought perhaps that some gifts would help her!" Everyone sighed as he said this, except for Elly, who was giggling.

"Oh that is really sweet, Alakard, thank you… I am feeling much better than I was this afternoon, but thank you anyways." She accepted the gift, using her psychic powers to lift the flowers and ease the Blaziken's load.

"That is a great relief! I also planned on hiring a band, but unfortunately that was outside of my economic range… but I am still overjoyed to hear that you're doing very well!"

"That is… really generous, Alakard, had you come in with a band playing behind you I doubt I would've been able to hold my wits about me… Thank you so very much." The pile of gifts was placed besides them so it wouldn't obstruct the other pokémon in the room, as they went back to their own issues after this exchange.

"Well… as I said, it is the least I can do. My conscience pushes me to deal with the Judges on a daily basis, and at times they can leave quite an impact." His comment reminded everyone of what they'd been told in the police building, and Eric decided to question him about it.

"Speaking about that… Alakard, you're fighting against the Judges' influence in Cunabula?" The Blaziken nodded. "But… we heard that you believe in Arceus' Return, and that they were originally a splinter group. Why are you going up against those that were once your companions?"

 **(Stop the music)**

The fire type's face became somber as Eric asked this. "Well… I do not want to discuss this in such an open area. May you all please direct me somewhere at least a bit more… private?" They understood his concerns, and they lead him to a secluded living area in the corner of the entrance hall, everyone spreading around a central table and sitting on comfy chairs and a sofa bolted to the wall. Even Vincent decided to tag along, to their dismay, seemingly interested by this development, and Alakard noticed this. "Oh? And who might you be?"

"Oh, I am just a friend, that is all… but I am deeply interested in anything regarding the Judges of Arceus, so I thought that I could tag along… and my wonderful friends do not seem to have any issues with that, correct?" They obviously didn't talk back, knowing that any smart comments could force Vincent to start criticizing the group, but at the same time the fact that he was curious about the Judges was interesting in it of itself, but Eric was still none too pleased.

"Well, if you say so… I just want to clarify that I do not like to talk about this openly, mainly because… this is an embarrassing topic. But not in the sense that you may think, for you see… us followers of Arceus are terribly embarrassed and sorry for the actions the Judges are carrying out. We do not believe in their actions and least of all their methods. The High Priest has often times voiced his concerns and thoughts on the matter, but it is all eclipsed by the Judges' overwhelming success in most regions… and so, I took it upon myself to act in the name of the true belief in the city I grew in and love so very much."

"So you're from Cunabula?" Serge got a nod for an answer.

"My family immigrated here before I was born, and owned a small bakery, which let us survive in this city but wouldn't allow us to prosper in the coming social climate. I started training to join the Guard when I was fifteen, and excelled in almost every category, and soon I was a soldier through and through, and was sent on missions all across the region during the times of the Time Freeze. The primal pokémon and all of those catastrophes… I don't blame them. What happened was beyond our control, out of anyone's, and they're just as innocent as the rest of us. However, during such dark times, you lose all hope of survival, everything becomes bleak and despair weakens the mind and body… many of my companions succumbed to the dark influences, and converted into primals. I was caught in the Freeze once it reached Cunabula, so thankfully I wasn't affected, and neither was my family… but after that Cunabula was in shambles, everything we'd hope to build, the city I'd grown up in had taken a large blow… And in those times, that was when I discovered faith."

"You may call me weak if you so desire… perhaps I am. But that faith gave me something to look forward to, some… comfort, that there was someone above looking down and trying to edge us onward to a brighter future. The High Priest's words are proof of that, true devotion to making the world a better place and rooting out the evil that has been festering in it for such a long time… but the true reason why I decided to follow him, were his ways: dialogue, peace treaties, and agreements. Johto has never been as peaceful as it is, and the long wars with Kanto are a thing of the past. That is why I believe in Arceus, and why I will defend this city. No matter how corrupt it looks and feels, I know there is brilliance underneath, and with my fire I shall serve as it's shield, and my actions will show the outside world what Cunabula really is: a city of opportunity and hope."

Nobody said a thing during this moving speech, the only noise being the sound of conversation in the background as pokémon checked in and out of the hotel. "That is… a very noble cause." Jake was the first to speak up, clearly surprised to hear the fire type's motivations.

"It is extremely difficult nowadays to find someone who supports us. Any kind of follower of Arceus' words is immediately labelled as an extremist, hence why I am so reticent in speaking about the matter in public."

"Actions speak louder than words." Eric reminded him, and the Blaziken looked at the Riolu and smiled.

"I am very glad to see that some of you can see everything from my point of view." He said 'some' because he caught a single glare of distrust: Elly's.

"You can call me biased but… don't you and the Judges have essentially the same goal? To… clean the world of evil?"

"Correct… but as I said, I will only use my words to pacify those that are turning to the darker side."

"And those that intend to harm this city? What would you do to them?"

Alakard rose an eyebrow. "Well… I am a guard, and as such, it is my sworn duty to protect Cunabula and its citizens from any threats. Should a situation like the one that happened in Flumerc Ars arised… diplomacy would most likely have failed already." He appeared clearly uncomfortable giving that answer, but Elly pressed further.

"So at that point, what differentiates you from the Judges? Sure, you may try to liberate those that have been wrongly imprisoned, but what about those terrorists? Most of them are simply kids that come from other poorer regions, or heck, even Kanto itself that have been brainwashed to fit their needs and are sent to attack the places they once called home. Instead of being defensive, why not go on the offensive and shut off those operations and end their supply of troops for good? Not only would you avoid those catastrophes, but also prevent thousands of lives from going awry!"

"Well… that is… because… I am just a guard, I cann-"

"You said it earlier that you were sent on missions before. What type of missions?" Elly didn't let him finish his sentence, and already she was getting looks from everyone in the team, except Vincent, who was on the edge of his seat.

"Elly, I don't think it's necess-"

"No, it **is** necessary Eric… I need to know." The determination in her voice was enough for the Riolu to fall silent and look at the others. Lucy opened her mouth to speak, but the fighting type shook his head and kept her from speaking up while Alakard struggled to find the words to answer the Eevee's demands… and eventually sighed in defeat.

"There… are other duties I must fulfill, Miss Elizabeth. I can understand your point of view, and it is true, but… a single man such as myself cannot tackle an army like that. I know of your past deeds, your interactions with the Dark Eons and your recent achievements in shutting down some recruitment magnets… and trust me, we would love to lend you our strength and fight this menace, but… there are other pressing matters that force me to stay within the city's walls."

"And that reason wouldn't be that your religion needs an opposing one to gather more followers, right?" She fired off the question that had been burning in the back of her mind, and everyone turned to her, wide eyed, whilst Alakard looked away, on the verge of crying.

"I brought you gifts, Miss Elizabeth… have I done something to offend you? Why are you being so inquisitive?"

"Don't try to guilt trip me, this is a serious question. Our team was built upon trust and truth, and if we want you to aid us, we need you to be as transparent as possible."

"But I cannot! I have made an oath to obey my superior's orders as a guard, and I cannot simply talk about confidential issues… even with allied branches like exploration teams. If you want to learn about that you'd need to speak with a higher authority than myself." He dropped to his knees and started apologizing for any wrong doings he might've done.

" _Elly, why'd you have to be so rough with him?! He obviously means all that he's saying, just look at him!_ "

" _I… Eric, you know all too well why it is I can't trust them_."

" _Oh really? Then please, enlighten the rest of us Elly, because to me it just looked like you were bullying the poor guy!_ "

" _Lucy, not right now..._ "

"Ummm… Alakard… Eric got down and patted the Blaziken on his back. "It's alright, Elly is… still really stressed out about the Judges. They brought up a lot of sensitive topics, as you might expect, and so she is incredibly distrusting towards anything and anyone related to that religion…" He looked at Elly disapprovingly, and she simply looked away, knowing that this was going to be a matter they'd discuss later. "So don't hold it to her, ok? She appreciates your gifts, that I am sure of."

Elly didn't return to meet Alakard's gaze, but the fire type stood up. "Right… I understand. I simply cannot tell you what I know unless I am authorized to do so, and the only one that could do it would be… well, you will find out soon enough if you intend to get involved, but be warned… It is quite a large operation." After that, Alakard thanked everyone for their hospitality, even if he'd been verbally beaten down by Elly, and everyone but her and the grass type saw him off with a smile on their face.

When everything was said and done, however, Elly looked at them. "I can't trust him, you know I can't!"

"If I may intervene…" Vincent tried to speak up, but was silenced by Serge.

"We'd rather you stay quiet for a bit Vincent… This is serious stuff."

"Oh but what I intend to say is quite serious. I do comprehend Miss Elly's worries. Coming across such a kind soul in this world is extremely rare, but having them be related to the Judges, even if they are 'helping' those innocents escape? Why, there is just something awfully suspicious, don't you think?"

"Well, first of all, nobody asked for **your** opinion Vincent, I don't even know why you're here to begin with." Eric's words were very aggressive. "And second, I still think that you overreacted with Alakard, it was completely unjustified!"

"But would h-"

"If I may, again, I am staying here because it is my desire."

"Yeah? Well it's my desire that you get out of my sight, but you're not complying."

"I would leave if you were to use force… but thankfully for me, you're far too worried with your outer appearance to even dare lift a finger in my direction, which only further proves my point."

"Alright, what do you know about why we care about our image so much?" Elly suddenly jumped up, fed up with the grass type's constant berating, but before they could continue their conversation they noticed they'd become the centre of attention with all their arguing.

"I think we should just… call it a day. It's late enough, so let's just go to our rooms, sleep, forget this bozo ever existed and think about what we'll do tomorrow." Lucy's proposal rang true with everyone… except Vincent himself of course.

"Now wait just a second, for I am not done talking to you lot! I will not stand for this, you hear me?!" He followed the group into the staircase and up to their rooms, pestering them the entire time. By now, he'd become a serious nuisance to the group, and decided to enter their rooms and keep him out to continue the conversation through their psychic link. Eric and Elly walked up to their door, grabbed the key, opened the door and when they entered… they saw someone else waiting inside, a tall figure leaning over the desk with a candle beside them, lighting the room and projecting their shadow across the far wall of the room, resulting in a very tetrical image. However, even with all of these details, it was a face they all knew too well.

"Ferrus?" The Lucario stirred at Eric's question and rose up, keeping his eyes on the Riolu. "What are you…" Ferrus' eyes wide open and he interrupted Eric's phrase as he rushed to the door.

"Stop him!" He shouted, pointing behind them, or more specifically at the fleeing Vincent, who'd taken off down the hall to try and get away. Lucy was quick to react however, bolting down the hallway, leaving a trail of sparks on the carpet and tackling the grass type on the floor.

"Ooof! I say, get off of me, this is highly illega-g-gag-a-ga..:" Lucy zapped him in the middle of that sentence and made sure he didn't struggle too much.

"Oh man, that was **so satisfying**." She got off of him, letting Eric and Jake grab his arms and carry him to their room. It wasn't terribly open, but they all had plenty of space, setting Vincent next to the desk where Ferrus was.

"Uuugh… This is… an abuse of authority… you will not get out of this untouched."

"Actually, these actions are justified: just today, a guard posted on the bridge reported a strange individual, a Roselia with only blue roses on his wrists, had attempted to slip into town without any papers, and had been helped by some travellers and stolen his pay while they weren't looking. Considering that not having a red a blue rose is a strange phenomenon, you stick out like a sore thumb. So show us your flowers." Ferrrus' voice let them know he wasn't messing around, and Vincent was certainly intimidated. With a groan of indignation he spread his arms, and they all saw how the leaves on his wrists bloomed and opened, blue rose petals sprouting out until they covered his hands completely.

"There. Happy? You still don't have any evidence it was m-"

"Where'd you get that suit, Vincent?" Jake slyly asked. "When we first saw you this morning you were wearing a simple cloak, and you certainly did not look as if you had much in the way of disposable income." Vincent opened his mouth to answer, but Eric was ahead of him.

"Oh, wait you said it was your client, right? But we already figured out that you're a con artist and do something else with your 'skills', so if you said that it'd probably be worse for you in the long run." The two looked at each other for a long, and Vincent rose his hand and opened his mouth, trying to speak… but gave up halfway, unable to think of an answer.

"You're no fun. No fun indeed."

"That's called Karma, bitch." Nox's insult was responded with a slap to the back of the head from Jake, earning a few snickers and giggles from the group. Vincent's presence and iron grip above them had finally been lifted, and everything was back to normal.

"You came in right at the perfect moment Ferrus… he was trying to twist our wrists into helping him… or something along those lines." Eric thanked the Lucario, who merely nodded in response.

"Now that's not what I-" Lucy zapped the grass type once more, earning him a yelp of surprise. "Will you stop that already!"

"Nope!" She shocked him again, if anything to annoy the blackmailer.

"I am glad to see that nothing has changed in these few months.. but I have a very limited schedule, and I haven't come here to make small talk…" He pulled out a smoking pipe and eyed Nox, his request going without words.

"You smoke now? That's not…" Eric's inquired didn't stop Nox from helping Ferrus.

"It's the only way I can keep myself from going insane…. I am locked up in my office all day, and I have no time to eat or sleep outside of when it is a biological necessity… as such, this vice is the only thing that keeps me sane." He blew out the smoke through the open window besides them. "What does **not** help, however, is me hearing that there was an altercation in the middle of the streets this morning, one of you was involved, and Dusknoir, Celebi and Grovyle contacting me saying you wanted to have a meeting about the Judges of Arceus!"

The large jackal had changed a great deal since they'd last seen him: he had great bags underneath his eyes from the lack of sleep, his fur seemed to be leaning towards a clearer cyan blue and gray, no doubt a sign of his age, and his voice was much hoarser than before. His eyes still burned with the same determination that it had previously, so they knew the Ferrus that had saved Treasure Town three years ago was still there. "Wait… they contacted you?"

"I've been keeping tabs on Dusknoir, since I'm trying to give him the third degree, if any of you know of that… and as for Celebi and Grovyle, they're doing a little favour for me, and as such we're constantly in touch. Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that Alakard, one of my highest ranking soldiers, was the one who asked me where "Team Star" was staying for the night, so you've probably talked with him about the very same issue you want to discuss… And I can't have that."

"What do you mean you can't have that? It sounds like you're overly paranoid and have a million eyes watching everything that's happening in Cunabula." Lucy voiced everyone's thoughts while they all got comfortable: Eric and Elly sat on the bed, Jake leaned up against the night stand, Nox laid himself at the foot of the bed, next to Serge, and Lucy stayed close to Vincent, who was still fuming in the corner, dispensing periodical shocks whilst Zed quietly went over to the restroom.

"Because that's exactly what it is. You don't know what is happening in this city right now, but it's a necessity that I know of any suspicious activity and act accordingly. Flumerc Ars was a disaster, and nobody was expecting it, and I am to prevent that from happening again. So when all of you are leaving a trail of fighting and action in your wake, I am forced to come down and tell you to play nice so that I can properly do my job."

Elly rose an eyebrow, confused. "What are you talking about? What is it that's got you so worked up? Everyone is helping to prevent what happened in Flumerc Ars from happening here, so you don't have to-"

"There is something else, correct? And it is something that you cannot share with ease." Jake's deep voice echoed in the room, having the nail on the head as Ferrus nodded and Zed came out of the bathroom, walking past the Lucario and besides Lucy.

"It is a highly confidential matter, yes. This involves the council itself and is a secret of state. The amount of pokémon that know what this operation involves is so small they can be counted with the fingers on your paws, so I trust that you'll handle this matter with discretion." Elly groaned in annoyance.

"More secrets?! Are you kidding me Ferrus?! It's us! Team Star! The guys that saved the world once, we killed Blake, and know of Eric and Clades' existence! If there's anyone you can trust with this information it's ourselves, so why are you keeping all of this secret?! Why can't you trust us?!"

Ferrus took a long whiff from his pipe and blew the smoke out. "...Collateral." They all took a step back. "You already have a duty you must fulfill, getting you involved in political matters would only hurt your image more than it already is, and if you want to bring down the Judges, you will need the influence."

"And I guess it's this private matter that keeps you from doing anything about the Judges?" The Eevee's inquiry was answered with a nod. "Ugh… Alright, but if this is such a confidential matter, then why is **he** here?!" She pointed at Vincent as she said this.

"Ahem, I do believe you know my name, Miss Elizab- I demand that you cease this mockery, you wicked Shinx!"

"Ooooh, the rose has its thorns! I like it, you're fun to play with!"

"I… don't know how to feel about this…" Zed's comment earned a few chuckles and a blush from the Shinx, while Vincent smiled.

"I mean, if I were to be honest I do have some strange tastes when it comes to interc- **Yooooouch!** " Lucy delivered a true dicharge across his body, which actually hurt him quite a big, promptly silencing him. "Anyways… why are you… saying this with me present?" He spoke to Ferrus directly.

"Because I know who you are. I do not know where you came from or what your past is, you've done a very good job keeping that hidden, but we know of your actions. We've been keeping tabs on your latest targets ourselves, and in every case you somehow showed up." Vincent's eyes went wide open.

"You do realize that is an invasion of privacy!"

"People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, don't you think?" Vincent bit his lip at the Lucario's response. "We don't know what your methods are or your objectives, but we do know that whenever you're involved, a lot of dirt involving some public figure springs up out of nowhere, muddying their reputation and in some cases getting them under arrest for whatever they have done. I know you handle and use information to your gain, and you probably knew about all of this before hand… and even if you didn't, I have a proposal for you."

"Oh? Well, I doubt anything you could offer me would be good enough t-"

"Cunabulanian citizen ship, a residence in the aristocratic quarters, nobiliary title and a small sum of money." All their eyes went wide open when Ferrus made his offer.

"...If you include a loaf of bread then I'll accept it. I'm awfully hungry." Ferrus rolled his eyes, but knew that he'd gotten through to the grass type.

"In exchange, you will spread false information about what you have heard here just now, and of course keep the truth to yourself… and also, you will accompany Team Star on their next mission."

"Say what now." Serge was the quickest to react to that bombshell, but the other's reactions were along the same lines.

"You heard me: He will accompany you on your next mission. It'll be a way for you show him what you're really made of and convince him to join our cause. But I digress: I must ask you to do something, and I am sure that you will be personally interested in carrying out this assignment as quickly and as discreetly as possible."

"Ok ok, slow down. First of all, I am not ok with this, I never agreed to carrying out some sort of high class mission. I demand that I be given a better reward!"

"You're not exactly in a situation to negotiate man." Serge taunted the grass type, who simply humphed.

"Blackmailing him into carrying out a mission… I scoff at you! You hear me?!" And indeed he scoffed, before getting shocked by Lucy again.

"You're a fucking hypocrite you know that?"

"Alright, stop it you three… If you say he'll help, then we'll take him along, we trust you." Eric spoke for everyone else, and his words were met with nods of agreement and a groan of acceptance. "What is this mission you want us to carry out?"

"I need you to go to the north to the Lawin mountain range. There have been a large number of abnormalities reported in the area: intense blizzards, far more powerful and frequent than normal in this time of year that have been causing serious damages in Akil Village, at the foot of the mountain. There have also been reports of stolen food and goods and pokémon being attacked if they approached the peak nearby, among other things… and on top of that, we have reason to believe a fragment is there."

"The fuck?!" That last sentence made everyone get up from their spots, with Eric being the most visibly shaken. "Are you serious?! Just like that you dropped the info?! You should've said so from the very beginning!"

"I would've, but you must also listen to this last part: we have reason to believe that the Judges of Arceus are aware of these abnormalities and plan to investigate. How they got their hands on this info is beyond me, but I suspect spies, hence why I have decided to tell you in person, this way it is unlikely they hear of these details. If they get there first and find the fragment themselves, I dread to think what could happen. Your mission then, will have three objectives: Secure and keep the people of Akil safe, find the source of the blizzards and put an end to them, and recover the fragment before the Judges get their hands on it. Do so, and you'll demonstrate that you operate better than the Judges, so you might be able to increase your influence in Cunabula. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir!" Everyone responded in unison, the entire team motivated by the fact that one of the watch fragments would be there. The fact that they'd probably have to go up against the Judges themselves was another reason in it of itself to go too.

"I don't understand why you're all so motivated, but… I am interested, and since I seem to have no choice in the matter, then I guess I will tag along… just so you know… " He got up with a groan. "I am not only a smooth talker, but also an adept fighter. I am not terribly efficient, but I hope you will find my presence on the battlefield to be… invaluable."

"Oh, sure we will pal… as long as you keep your mouth shut we'll do just fine." Nox had finally thought of how to insult the grass type, and was particularly proud of that line.

"Now now, let's not be too hasty… albeit to be honest I have a slight sensation hot headedness is an intrinsic part of your character." They looked at eachother, but before they could continue Ferrus put out his pipe and got up.

"Well, if that is all, I will take my leave. I have matters to attend to. When you return, I will come to notify you… and remember, discretion. Should the Judges appear, you must, by all means necessary, recover the fragment while keeping it all on the down low. The last thing Elly could use would be to attract their attention." Elly was shocked to hear this advice from Ferrus, but then again, knowing his position and rank it was likely he'd known long before they'd come to Cunabula.

"Will do. You be safe as well. Whatever it is you're doing sounds incredibly dangerous."

"It involves you all to a certain extent… perhaps sometime in the near future I will be able to tell you. Rest easy, and depart tomorrow if possible. The sooner you carry out the mission, the better." And with that, he bowed and left the room, wishing them a good night. The moment he left the room the air of consternation and tension dissipated, and everyone let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"Well, you heard the big boss! And yes, I'm going to be calling Ferrus that way from now on, shut up… We should go catch some Z's, and same goes for you, Vincent."

"Oh, do not dare be all "buddy buddy" with me now, Serge! You extended your wings in friendship but were pretty quick to lift it when the tide didn't favour you!"

"Arceus… you're a friggin' hypocrite you know that?" Lucy tried to taunt him again, but alas he seemed to have grown accustomed to her words.

"Look who's talking! I will still criticize you… even if the reason behind your actions is a just one."

"So then you understand why we care so much about our public image?" Eric inquired, and the grass type shrugged.

"Perhaps. I am not too happy about how this whole thing turned out… but for my sake and your own, I will tag along."

"Bullshit, you're just saying that because the pay's nice!" Nox called him out on his true reasons, and the mercenary rose his arms.

"Now now, the pay **is** extremely nice, that I will admit, and it is a large incentive… but I am a man of my word, and mark my words, I do care about those that are at a severe disadvantage or at the mercy of those with higher authority. Case in point, that waiter from earlier: I simply had to help him, I could not sit idly and let that brute chastise him for a mistake. We're all pokémon, for crying out loud, and seeing someone in that position… or it just makes my sap boil."

"So you're a thief with a conscience, is that what you're getting at?" Serge glanced at him from the corner of his eye as he asked this, walking out into the hallway.

"In broad terms… why yes! I am a handsome rogue, who steals from the rich and gives it to the poor… though I will admit I keep some of what I reap for myself." Vincent's response made the Pidgeot sigh.

"Fuckin' romantic… alright, whatever, if you say you'll help us, I'll be ok with it if you aren't such an ass." Out of everyone in the team, Serge seemed to be the most open on taking Vincent along for this mission only.

"Yeah right well… No disrespect but… I don't understand what is it you'll contribute to the team." Zed finally spoke towards Vincent for the first time, a question that made Vincent chuckle.

"Oh, I understand your concerns, but… allow me to explain a few things: beyond any narcissistic tendencies I may suffer from, for yes, I admit I am not perfect, I am in fact a quite unique individual, and my skills go beyond being a simple "smooth talker". However, these skills are… a matter best reserved for the opportune times. It is the same as your genitalia: you don't show them around unless it is time for intercourse, correct?" Everyone groaned for the comparison, though Serge blinked in confusion a few times before heading into his room. Nox and Jake followed him and bid the others good night. "What? But it is true!"

"Just… go to bed, Vincent. We'll see you tomorrow in the main hall at six am **sharp.** Any later are you're staying behind, got it?" Eric attempted to impose his authority on Vincent to try and get his own form of revenge on him… but realized he was just being petty and decided to drop it, considering he would come along the next morning. "Actually… thinking about it better, half past six is the point of no return, but try to be at six so we can leave before the sun rises. We'll avoid detection that way."

Vincent noticed the way he corrected himself and chuckled, hiding his smile with his hand. "I see you're willing to set aside our matters for the time being… very well, I shall do just that. I wish you all good night." He waved and paced down the hallway, though by the time he turned the corner they were all inside their room.

"Ugh, what a pain… and here I thought we'd be able to take this as some sort of vacation…" Lucy jumped on top of the bed and lay on it. "I'm pooped."

"From what? Eating? That's the only thing you've done all day!"

"Up yours Eric…"

"Bah… Besides, another vacation so early? We came back like… what, four, three months ago?"

"Something like that… But I wouldn't exactly… you know, consider it a vacation… towards the end it got really scary." Zed didn't mean any wrong by it, but of course he reminded the others of the human laboratory and everyone fell silent. "Sorry I didn't…"

Flashes of endless metal hallways, blaring alarms and that psychic swords flying around and trying to skewer them flashed in Lucy's mind, shaking her head and closing her eyes. "Just… go to bed already Zed." He looked at her, and then back at Eric and Elly. They too seemed to have reminded something, perhaps Eric's experiences in the arena, or Elly's untimely encounter with the Pursuer and that Rebscura. Whatever the case, they too got up on their bed, wishing the other two good night and blowing out the candle.

Zed sighed and got on with her mate, throwing the sheets over them and curling around besides her, falling asleep a few minutes later. The only ones still up by that point were Eric and Elly, who remained by each other, lying on their backs and looking at the plain ceiling.

" _Today's been a ride, hasn't it?_ " Eric tested their link and checked if she was there… and no matter how angry the Eevee was, at the end of the day she couldn't ignore him when he called her that way.

" _You can say that again… Cunabula turned out to be a bigger city than we thought, the Judges, Vincent, Alakard, Ferrus… this was a lot to take in in one go._ "

" _Yeah… I still think you were too rough on Alakard though._ "

" _And I still think that you should've listened to what Vincent said. Alright, he's an ass, don't give me that glare, I agree with you there, but his words carried some truth…_ " Eric hummed to himself.

" _Maybe you're right, but he's still a… we could go on the whole night like this though._ " He sighed. " _You really think they found a fragment in Akil_?"

" _There's only one way we'll get to know, and it's by going there. And if the judges are going to show up, then it's going to be a mess._ "

" _Indeed…_ " They both let out a simultaneous yawn, a side effect of their minds being linked, and they chuckled together. " _Alright, I'm feeling really tired… so let's just go to bed and we'll continue this tomorrow. Good night sweetie."_

" _Good night._ "

They shared a kiss and the two closed their eyes, going to sleep… try as he might however, for some strange reason, Eric could not take his mind off of the events that had transpired that day and that could potentially take place tomorrow. He gently rubbed and caressed her mate's fur collar, which always soothed him and tried to sleep again… but this time, his last thought when he finally fell asleep was the image of the Book of Lies, which they'd left back home, with a strange new emblem glowing in white as it slowly opened, it's pages shifting…

* * *

 **You might have noticed I uploaded two documents today… this is not at all something that will happen every time I upload from now on, but rather when certain story elements are exposed and certain milestones are reached, so do not expect a double whammy like this.**

 **And also, for those of you who don't follow my profile, I uploaded the first chapter for a new series of stories covering the individual backgrounds and tales of each of Team Star's members, called "Shooting Stars". You can check it out in my profile, with the first story being titled "Shackles of Servitude", and featuring Jake's individual struggles. Don't miss it!**


	5. Light - 6 H

**Light - 6 "H"**

 _ **Light, in our world, is a representation of energy. Any type of energy, what flows through us or through the world, that is energy. Is it a concept, a result of our actions in the material world, or is it something that exists in another plane? I think it more to be the latter, as in tradition, the spiritual realm and the energy realm have been confused.**_

 _ **Still, energy is something we all share, something that is irrefutable, and is what keeps us going. It binds us together, makes us all realize that we aren't so different after all. A mystical power that we don't completely understand, maybe like souls… that's what some like to think energy is. Faith in something we don't think exists… a hope that things will change, and while they will become something different, they will forever be what they once were.**_

The world's a mysterious place. One day, you're just minding your own business, walking around the city and watching some pokémon battles on TV, the next you're standing in the middle of the street under the rain with nothing but a sleeveless shirt and a pair of trousers. No shoes either, which is quite possibly the worst part about it. Nevermind the long black hair drooping down your face obscuring your vision, the real issue here is the possible pneumonia that I might catch from standing around in the rain waiting for the locksmith to come over. Moral of the story is to never, **ever** , live in an apartment that's more than 20 years old and the keys to the which haven't been changed for that long.

But you know, for such a mysterious place, there are a couple of laws that can tell you what's gonna happen: action and reaction, laws of thermodynamics, that stuff… but I honestly doubt that most of that stuff can hold water, especially in such a crazy world like ours. However, I do believe in two universal laws: the laws of gravity, and Murphy's Law. Now the first I'm not talking about the fact that we're all standing on our own two feet and aren't floating off into deep space, that one everyone believes in. I'm talking about something else: a philosophical law of gravity, that we are all being pulled towards one point in our lives. No matter who you are and what you're doing, you obey this law, you're being pulled towards something common to all. Some people call it fate, others heaven… You name it.

Murphy's Law is a funny one though, and it goes like this: if something bad's gonna happen, don't worry, because it'll get even worse.

And god help me if I'm not a firm believer of the latter.

Let's be honest, if you were to live in a world populated by two species, which one would you rather be: the weak, fleshy and intelligent species that likes to change the world around whenever it suits their mood and needs, or the strong, marvelous and rather passive species of up to eight hundred something varieties that all have mystical and marvelous powers that defy logic, and yet don't dare lift a finger to change the environment around them? If you chose the later, then congratulations, you're now a slave.

A slave, yeah, I'm not about to sugar coat the treatment Pokémon get in this world: stuffed into ball of all shapes, colors and sizes, probably brainwashed to serve their masters, and definitely treated like animals: fights, fashion shows, quite literal pets… and they're actually sentient creatures too, so it really makes you wonder just why they haven't gotten up in arms and tried to overthrow us.

Well, spoiler alert? They already did. And it backfired. **Hard.**

Nevermind that though, because it's most likely a story for another day. We only have so much time before you have to leave again, back to that world of yours, and I need to tell you about this. This is important, so keep your peepers peeped, got it? Good… so now, back to the scene, I'm just standing under the rain, essentially naked in that weather and with a wrapped up cloth in my arms. And inside this cloth is a white furred Riolu, shivering like a leaf, with so much mud and dirty blood on his fur that he might as well have looked brown, and so hot that I worried he'd caught a worse fever than the one I was about to catch.

If you've got a soul, then it'd probably going to melt when I tell you the poor thing is barely four years old and I found them about to be killed. It all happened earlier that day, I'd just taken my phone, put on some music and left my house for an afternoon run. My office job didn't exactly give me much room for exercising and keeping a healthy way of life, and Milktank burgers and chinese takeout combined with streaming services was only going to get me an early grave due to several simultaneous organ failures, or so my doctor had told me, so I decided to pick up that healthy habit.

And on one such afternoon I decided to go out of town. Running around under highly contaminated air wasn't healthy either, and there was a nice forest near the town I lived. It wasn't big or small, and it had every commodity you could need to have a normal, quiet life, and I was happy with that. What pushed to go out of town on that very afternoon though, to head down that one single dirt path and to take a left turn when the path in the forest forked… it'll forever be a mystery for me. Going back to that law of gravity I mentioned before… Looking back, it's always been working towards that moment, hasn't it?

Anyways, as I delved deeper into the forest I happened across quite a breathtaking scene: a beautiful spring in the middle of a clearing, some flowers all over the place, and not too far away beyond the moor were ridges and mountains. I thought it was a nice play to stop for a bit and relax, but I couldn't have been further away from the truth, because seconds later a howl echoed between the trees, signalling the presence of less than happy pokémon in the area. I wasn't and I still aren't a trainer, I don't intend to be one for obvious reasons, so I didn't have anything to defend myself against wild pokémon other than my own two legs. I sprung up and took off running, daring to glance back… only to check that it wasn't me they were hunting.

A pack of mightyenas were chasing after the white furred Riolu I am holding in my arms now, and they were tearing the poor thing apart: every lunge and bite hit its mark, tearing the skin and fur, so many wounds and bruises that it was a miracle he could still run. And yes, later on I learned it was a he because I had to wash it so it wouldn't die. A little voice in my head told me I shouldn't get involved, that it was all nature's law… but I didn't pay any attention to it. Leaving him to die like that would not only weigh down heavily on my conscience but also leave a sour taste in my mouth. Besides, I wouldn't be able to presume of being a pokémon rights activist if I let one die, now would I?

I looked round and grabbed the biggest stick I could find, and came out swinging. The noise, my own size and the fact I was brandishing a wooden stick like I was a goddamn maniac probably shocked them, but it wasn't enough to scare them away, though it was definitely enough to draw the attention off the Riolu. I went on the defensive, a cold sweat running down my back as I realized just how much of a huge mistake this had been, with the voice in my head bashing me repeatedly, saying "I told you! I told you!". Luckily, the Riolu I'd just saved didn't do the sensible thing either way.

Instead of running away, he fell onto his back, faced the Mightyenas and fired one hell of an aura sphere. The explosion dazed them and left my ears ringing, and it definitely burnt some of the grass, which I promptly used to light up my own stick and wave it at the hyenas. It had effect, and they ran with their tails between their legs. Once a few minutes had passed and everything quieted down I turned to look at the Riolu, smiling and giving him a thumbs up… before shouting in pain and dropping the stick on fire, having burnt through all of it and burning my own hand, putting it out with my foot.

Once that was out of the way, I approached the Riolu, and just as I'd expected, he tried to cower away from me, dragging his lower half across the mud in a vain attempt to at least get into the water and away from me… but he didn't go that far before his own exhaustion and wounds got the best of him. After this, I think I'll press the fast forward button: I took responsibility for my actions, cleaned the guy as best I could, took off my shirt, leaving me in my undershirt and sweating and wrapped him in it to dry him off, and then started running back home, and of course on the way back it started raining, and to finish off the day, I turn the key in the lock, and wouldn't you know the thing snaps in half.

And now we're here, waiting for the locksmith I called on the phone to arrive, already being fifteen minutes late. My body's so cold that there's no doubt in my mind I'll be going to work sick tomorrow. And no I can't just call in sick, otherwise I'll lose my job. Life's fantastic, as you can probably imagine, but hey there's always a silver lining: at least I could be evicted and permanently living out in the street. Or dead. Things could always be worse, Murphy's Law I'm telling you.

I'm still hugging the bundle of cloth in my chest, trying to keep the little guy as warm as possible, even if he's coming down with a huge fever. Now, I didn't take him to the pokécentre for three reasons: one, I am not a trainer, and appearing in the centre with a wounded little guy like him would draw a lot of attention that I didn't want on me; two, I don't have any way to pay the treatment, barely having enough money to sustain myself; and three, those marks on his right arm.

Now, I'm not a biology expert, because if I were I wouldn't working at an office job, I tell you what… But even I know that Riolus have these bone protrusions on the back of their paws, but this one has the right one missing, and instead it's replaced by a strange pattern: lines curve and extend over his arm in an intricate pattern, circling and spiraling, going from his shoulder all the way down to his paw, where it all came together on the back, making an emblem that everyone is more than used to seeing these days: that five pointed star with ten circles around it.

I have no idea who this Riolu is, why he has that emblem, or what it means, but if I'd brought this little guy in chances are I would've never seen them again… and I may or may not have been assassinated by some government special ops or something, I forgot my tinfoil hat in my wardrobe that morning. Point is, something is really fishy about this kid, but he probably hasn't the faintest of what it all means. A sound rouses me from my thoughts and I look up: the van with the logo of the door company that made the goddamn trap behind me is here. I greet him and joke about the pneumonia I'm going to catch and we share a good laugh as he unlocks the door. I wasn't about to blame or get angry at the guy for getting there late, it probably wasn't his fault. He sticks with me just in case the one to my flat also breaks and offers to have a new set of keys sent in the next two days, which I am very glad to hear about, and the best part of it all is that he doesn't ask questions about the pokémon in my arms!

I thank him and the moment he leaves I rush into the bathroom, turn on the heater and ready a bath to properly wash this poor guy. I have bandages, alcohol and disinfectant at the ready, and when I'm done he actually looks pretty cute, covered in bandages like that and sleeping like a baby on my bed. I take my own bath afterwards, and take a long time to think over all that's happened today. Whatever it was, it sure as hell meant that things were going to change drastically from there on out, which I wasn't too stoked about.

See, I'm just a guy who just wants to relax. I've lead a complicated life, filled with problems and strife of all kinds, and I only want to wake up every day at six in the morning, work for eight hours, go back home, sit in front of the TV and put on some anime and eat fried chicken, rinse and repeat for the rest of his life. I've got no family in town, I live completely alone, and the prospect of getting a girlfriend or something like that isn't appealing. I don't do friends either, though I do go out with my colleagues every so often to have a few beers and share some laughs.

I got out of the bath, dried and put on my pajamas and did just that: sit down on the sofa and relax. Picking up some pokémon like that was really the least appealing thing I'd done in quite some time, but I'd still done it for some god forsaken reason, so I'd have to pull through, take care of them until they recovered and see what happened from there on out. I mean… how hard could it be to take care of a little pokémon like that?

* * *

Since the poor guy was out like a light and snoring away, I decided to join him, metaphorically speaking, not physically, and opened up the sofa and laid to rest with the seventh season of "Friends" going until the TV shut off when I fell asleep, which must've been a few two hours after I had that shower and ate dinner. It was both a combination of me being lazy, but also tired. Seriously, just that whole business with those Mightyenas had left me exhausted for some reason… that and the splitting headache and huge cold I'd caught, so I thought laying down was the best course of action.

Turns out that it was the complete opposite: I woke up and I could barely stand up because my head weighted ten times more than it usually did, and just moving it hurt. It was almost as bad as waking up from a hangover, only that I also had what I'd later figure out was strep throat, combined with a cough that made my entire body convulse and spew out mucus. In other words, I was a complete and utter mess. With a groan and a desire for Zapdos to smite me with a thunderbolt, I got out of bed and trudged my way to the bathroom, opening up the closet and quickly getting those heavenly painkillers, which mitigated the pain. I kept the bottle by my side, knowing I was going to need it that day: I had work, of all things.

I stared at the mirror and death returned my gaze: an unkempt beard and a messed up hair on top of a face pale as milk greeted me. I looked like a ghost, and I was tempted to call it quits and not show up to work that day. I was a planck's length away from quitting it too, since my boss was the type of guy who counted actual one penny coins, those small copper ones, so I was definitely lucky I was getting paid minimum wage. Still, gotta pay the rent, so I pulled out my shaving kit and got down to business… when I saw something that scared me even more than my ugly mug.

The little fucker was already up and about, bandages and all.

And he was sneaking past me.

I turned on a dime and faced him, yet the scurrying bugger bolted for the door, slipping on the floor and almost breaking his poor face on the wood, though he recovered quickly and made a mad dash for the handle… only for it to stay in the same place. Thank god I had the foresight to lock the door before I went to bed, otherwise he'd be gone like the wind, never to be seen again. That wasn't the end of it however, as he started pummeling the door itself with his own bandaged fists, desperate to get out of that hellhole, which I totally understood, I also wanted to get out of that apartment, but that was definitely not the way.

"Oi! Stop that you bugger, don't break my f-" He spun and pointed his paw at me, and I saw that familiar glow… " **Don't! I swear to god don't fucking blow up anything you son of a bitch!** " My shouts certainly didn't stop him from making the thing, an aura sphere the size of a melon, essentially quite huge, but at least he didn't fire it, which was progress. "I am up to my neck in debt! In the red! Legally poor and stripped of all my human dignity! You blow a hole in the wall they're going to come and try and repair it and when I don't have any money they'll take away the TV, the consoles… whatever, and I can't afford that! Just for the love of whatever it is you care most and whatever deity you believe in **don't shoot that sphere!** " A long silence hovered over us after my long spiel and I guess he must've recognized me through the shaving cream as the guy who saved his life the previous day, or just didn't feel like blowing me into bloody chunks. Whatever the case, he didn't fire it, that crisis was averted and I let out a sigh of relief, followed by a violent coughing fit.

"Ah, fucking fantastic… you made me shout and now I'm probably gonna be voiceless for the rest of the week…" I groaned and got up, turning away from him and deciding to finish shaving my face. I'm sure that my course of action is confusing: I just convinced the Riolu to not blow up my house, so you'd think I'd interrogate him further, ask him how he was feeling yada yada… well, I had a better plan, and it involved ignoring him for the time being. I could see his tiny head pop out from behind the door frame on the reflection of the mirror, and I kept splitting my attention between him and my shave, somehow avoiding cutting it all up.

Once I was done with that and the other morning activities of the bath… which he watched with the utmost curiosity, which was honestly creepy, I walked past him and opened up my wardrobe to put some clothes: a simply gray business suit which smelled weird. I needed to take it down to the Laundromat… I'd do that later, it was too late for me to do that now. I got ready, groomed my hair as best as I could, grabbed the keys and walked to the door and unlocked it.

"There's food in the fridge, fruits on the table and some cans in the cupboards. I'll be back in eight hours." I opened the door to leave…

"You're leaving?!" I let go of the handle as the Riolu finally opened his mouth to speak, turning around and closing the door again.

"Finally, I am blessed to hear your voice! You've kept quiet for the entire morning, not even a 'thank you' for what I did yesterday?" The Riolu looked at me, confused.

"Wait… you understand me?" I nodded, and he grew skeptical. "You human!"

"Well, humans and pokémon do come from the same gene pool you know… besides, there are a lot more people that can understand pokémon, but considering the current political climate they opt to stay quiet about it, and for good reason too." That was the short version of it, but the message got across. His voice was really high pitched, he must've been like five or six… how in the world he'd managed to survive on his own for so long, let alone speak up and threaten a human like that at such a young age was beyond me. I knew pokémon were essentially born to fight, but I wasn't expecting that.

"...I need to leave too."

"No can do." I remained in front of the door again, and he rose his paw and threatened to summon another sphere. "Ah ah ah, what did I say about blowing up the house? If you do that the police will come, and then you'll be taken away to god knows where." He shot me a funny look, but his paw didn't lower.

"Po...lice?"

"Guys in blue suits, usually with guns and tasers, they are there to preserve the safety of us upstanding citizens… and also evict you when you're not so upstanding." That didn't help satiate his curiosity, but the overall meaning got through: if he went out, he'd be alone again and probably taken to an even shittier spot, or at least that's what I thought, and thus relayed this message to him.

"Police… bad?"

"Depends on who you are."

"You… bad?"

"Depends on what your perspective on life is. I'm just a guy trying to get by. nothing more nothing less. I just so happened to find you getting eaten alive for some Mightyena, my heart melted at the sight and we are now… by the way, I don't know you're even standing." I wiped my nose, and while I didn't have a trail of snot coming from my nose, he did… quite a lot of fact, and the poor thing had barely noticed it, so enthralled he was in getting to know me. "Look… I really don't know what to do or what to say to you outside of… I brought you here to keep you safe, and I managed to save your ass, so I'm in a way looking out for you kiddo… So listen up: I need to go work at my stupid office job because I need to make money, the thing that makes this world go 'round and 'round… so that way we can stay in this house, warm and with food. Did you get that?" His reaction was him pulling away his paw from his snout, a trail of snot connecting them, and looking up at me with innocent eyes, shaking his head.

Arceus bless this kid.

"Alright well… how about this… I need to go get food, alright?" He genuinely looked lost, and I couldn't blame him for it: a human his age could've never understood the cruel reality of the world we lived in, let alone a pokémon cub. Though with such a gross simplification he seemed to find his beatings.

"Hungry…" The broken speech didn't help to alleviate the cute factor, but I was already late as is, and he could probably find his way to the fridge, get food… Or at least that's what I was thinking, but my body decided to betray me and while I was thinking this I'd already grabbed a plate, berries, fruits and whatever sweets I could find to give him, and a glass of water too.

"Ok, this should do it for a bit… Now I'll be gone for a little while, until midday. Thankfully I don't work full time, so you should…" There was another trail of snot coming from his nose, and I took it upon myself to clean it with a tissue, which I promptly trashed in the bin nearby. "As I was saying, you're gonna need to stay here, I'll be back…" I looked around and pointed at my digital alarm clock, the red numbers changing with every minute. "Alright, so you see those symbols?" I asked, walking over and pointing at the last two digits: it was currently thirteen minutes past seven, so I was most definitely gonna be late. He nodded. "Well when these two appear…" I pointed at the two first slots, which were the hours. "Here, then I'll be back, ok?" He nodded.

"Right, if we're settled then, eat a bit, get your strength back and I'll bring some food for you later. And after that…" I stopped talking: after that what? What was I going to do with this kid? Now I had another damn mouth to feed, something that I'd actively avoided, since I was constantly short on cash… this was just a bad idea from the beginning was it? "Well, after that I promise we'll figure something out, ok? And we'll talk about your name and all that jazz… sounds good?"

Of all those words I'm sure he understood two, but he nodded again and stayed quiet, still looking at me with those big eyes… though once again when I turned around and opened the door I heard someone padding behind me. "Alright, what is it now?" I turned around and he was closer to me than ever before, looking up.

"What… is… promise?" Now that I definitely couldn't believe I'd just heard.

"Wait… you don't know what a promise is?" He shook his head, and I huffed. I really didn't want him to follow me just I could explain what that was… so I crouched down, getting down to his eye level, and looked at him. "Well… A promise is like… you say something, alright? You want to do… something for someone. I just said that I am going to bring you food, right?" He nodded. "Well… that's a promise. There's a lot more than that but… basically, when you say you're going to do something for you or for someone else, that's a promise."

"Promise…"

"Yep… and I promise I'll bring you food… but in turn, you gotta promise that you don't leave this place, alright? When you promise something to someone else that person also usually promises something back. So, if you stay here and don't break your promise, I will bring you food. Sound good?" I extended my hand, and he backed away in fear, scared to look at my hand, but I edged him onward with a smile and a nod of my head, and he tentatively moved his paw forward and grabbed my thumb and index finger, tightly holding them and almost crushing the two together.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Promise." After that short exchange, he let go of my hand and sat down, keeping his eyes on me still. I could feel something wet on my hand, and when I looked I noticed it was all covered in his snot.

"Ugh…" I rubbed it off with a tissue and rubbed his head. "Alright, then I'll be back in a few." I finally managed to open the door and walked out of the apartment. "See ya!" And once I was gone, I closed and locked the door behind me. I sighed as I did that, resting my head against the wooden door, still regretting all my decisions… but I knew that work would be a fantastic way to draw my attention away from all of that. And so, I set out for a boring day at the office, knowing that when I came back I'd find a tiny curious Riolu looking at his snot covered paw and murmuring the same word over and over.

"Promise…"

* * *

For once, luck seemed to smile down on me, since my boss wasn't in the office, so I didn't get scolded for being late, and I got out early so I managed to make enough time to get chinese take out and headed back home. I doubted my furry friend had ever tried out chinese food, but I certainly hoped he enjoyed it, because that's what we were having for lunch that day. I used the temporar key I'd been given by the locksmith and made my way up to my flat, unlocking and slipping inside.

"Noon!" I called the Riolu, who I noticed was just sitting in front of my alarm clock with his legs crossed, mesmerized by the numbers, probably waiting until the clock rolled over to the time I'd told him… but he did acknowledge my entrance by turning to face him, pointing at the clock. "Promise!"

"Yeah yeah, I know I said I'd be here at quarter past… but I got here earlier, so that's better! I didn't break our promise, I improved on it." I looked at the floor besides him and noticed he'd cleaned the bowls I'd left him, and the ground around them was spotless, which was a relief since I didn't feel like cleaning the floor. There was some snot on his fur though, which I cleaned up. "Well, at looks like you improved on your promise too!" I cleaned his nose and told him to blow on the tissue, which he.. gracefully did, bending his whole body forward as I feared he might shred the paper into bits. He had some powerful lungs that's for damn sure. Once he was satisfied and I cleaned my entire arms and wrists, I opened the bag on the table and motioned the little guy to sit on a little stool opposite of me, and I pulled out our lunch: rice, spring rolls, fried chicken and those little triangles that I loved so much.

He stared at the banquet in front of him, confused. "Well? Better not get used to this, because this is just a special occasion, kiddo!" I grabbed my chopsticks and dug in, looking at the Riolu expectantly. He looked at my motions curiously, and did the same, trying to separate this chopsticks… and snapped them in half. He looked at me, panicking before he started sniffing, tears in the corners of his eyes. "Hey hey hey, don't cry!" I couldn't help but laugh as I got up and got a spoon for him. Maybe I'd judged wrong and he was younger than five… so I wasn't about to trust him with a fork, much less a knife. Besides, the kid wasn't stupid and knew how to handle food, if him cleaning the plate hadn't been an obvious indication.

He stared at the thing in awe, staring at his reflection and chuckling, and then look back at me. I mimicked the motions of him eating with a spoon, and soon enough we were enjoying the rice and the chicken, albeit the spring roll he had to it with his paws, as if it was a sandwich, with the bittersweet sauce just… flying everywhere. It was adorable, sure, but I still chastised him, which ended up with him bawling and wailing in apology… this was going to be much harder than I thought.

After I managed to calm him down with a piece of chicken I sat back down and watched him happily chew on it, doing some really cute noises and whines. "Rioo! Rio!"

"You like it?" He nodded enthusiastically. "Glad to hear… well, now that you're fed and… somewhat clean, maybe we should talk for a bit… what's your name, little guy?"

He could obviously understand me, because otherwise half of my flat would be missing, but he didn't seem to understand that question… that, or the situation as worse than I thought. "Alright… umm… what about your mommy and daddy? Why weren't they with you when those Mightyena attacked?" At the mention of that he suddenly stopped eating and looked at me in the eyes. Slowly but surely, his face shifted from happiness to shock, then sadness and fear in the span of a minute, looking down at the ground, then at his wounds, sobbing quietly and biterly.

I huffed and laid back: that meant that they had been gravely wounded and abandoned him… or most likely dead. Either that or something else that escaped my mind… whatever the case, the question had brought back unwanted memories, and I wasn't having anymore crying and snot in my house… so I got up and hugged him. This was a grave mistake for several reasons: he smelled quite horribly, even after yesterday's bath, his chest and face were covered in snot and he sobbed and got my shirt messed up with all of the above… but I still hugged him, because I'm not a cruel and cold asshole… most of the time anyways.

"Hey, it's alright kiddo… Nothing bad will happen to you, ok?" I patted his back, trying to calm him down by rocking myself back and forth. By now I really had to consider the fact that this guy was going to stay here for a long time, which… I really didn't want to do. It was already hard enough to sustain myself like that, but now I also had to take care for someone else, a pokémon cub no less… Why'd I even take this little furry bastard in?

I shook my head. Those types of thoughts were definitely not going to help the poor thing, and I'd have to sort out my mind later. For now, I managed to cheer him up a bit more with that and some more wonton, which he crunched with a smile. I rubbed his head affectionately, smiling. "Well, for now, you'll have to stay here: but you need to obey some rules and make some more promises with me, alright? I'll keep ya safe, fed and warm, alright?" He smiled and nodded, hugging me back. This was probably his way of showing me thanks, probably something he'd picked up from me. "Ok… and we also need to sort out the issue of your name. Can't keep calling you little guy and Riolu, now can I?"

I looked around, searching for some inspiration or a name. I'd always been terrible with names, hence why I couldn't write for the life of me, but I did read quite a lot, most of my reads being in an electronic book, since I couldn't afford the bookcase for them… and I thought about it for quite a while, and finally settled on…

"Aiolos." I looked at the Riolu, smiling. "It's god a nice ring to it, don't you think? You like it?" He looked back at me, and seemed to be in deep thought, comprehending that we were deciding on his name. He was pretty intelligent for his age, even if he was kind of slow in some other areas. He nodded, and breathed in to pronounce his own new name.

"A...Aio...los… Aiolos."

* * *

 _ **O accursed one,**_


	6. Chapter 3 - Frostbite

**And here we are, a whole month later! Sorry it took so long for me to publish this chapter guys, but Christmas is always a busy time of the year for me, as I usually put my family before a lot of things, including my studies. And speaking of that, right after the break my exams rolled around, so I had to focus on those as well, which kept me away from writing for far longer than I'd like to admit. But I've managed to find some time here and there these past two weeks and… well, here you go!**

 **But before that, some reviews:**

 **RuneTheLucario: I know right? Baby Riolus are the most adorable thing ever, and I can't wait to write more about them. And yeah, keeping secrets is never a good thing, but I won't spoil anything… except that I'm gonna give you guys looots of feels. Some good. Some bad.**

 **Hjof: It's a Christmas miracle! (Or rather, WAS a Christmas miracle… you know what I mean). Vincent is a very enjoyable character to write, and sadly while he isn't the most legal, but he's as you said, the speaker of truth. No clue about his ability though, maybe you'll learn about it this chapter?**

 **And who's to say they won't play a bigger role later on? We're still establishing some of the plot points from the previous fic and introducing characters, so the possibility of them returning, along with Dusknoir, is very high, don't you think? And Aiolos is damn cute, but I'm not gonna say anything about what the letters will spell out. You'll figure it out in due time.**

 **WesternFail: It's just a normal day in the lives of team star: figuring out one of your friends is a chronic liar and has super powers, and then comes a guy you don't know telling you off about what is wrong or right when the guy just duped the entire restaurant. There's something pretty interesting with that whole exchange, and as I've said before, Vincent is a blast to write, so expect a bit more from him later down the line.**

 **As for Aiolos… I'm glad to see that everyone liked it! I thought the reception for something to different to the main plot would be like "Ew, I don't like it", but I'm happy to see it's been a success!**

 **(Also regarding your questions: no idea, no idea, no idea, no idea and no idea)**

 **And now, without any further ado, enjoy my late new year's gift! My best wishes for you all in 2018, and enjoy the chapter!**

 _ **Chapter 3**_

 _ **Frostbite**_

 _ **Press onward through the unrelenting cold, and claim your prize**_

" **Aaaah…. aaaah…** "

"Oh Arceus, here it comes again."

"Nox, I swear to god do-"

" **AATCHOO!** " A stream of fire spewed out from Nox's mouth three times in a row as he sneezed, scaring the living daylights out of Vincent, who was unfortunately in front of him at the time of the accident.

"Have you lost your sanity?! Control yourself and your cold!"

"I can't help it ya know?! I'd like to see you with a cold, see how much you can keep yourself from sneezing."

"Well, that probably has happened because you foolishly took off your sheets during the night. You may emit a lot of heat but your fur is extremely poor at retaining any of it."

"Shut up ice, I don't need your counselling on how I should live my life…"

"I mean so far you're doing a bang up job at it I think?" Lucy's teasing came in swift as ever, which annoyed Nox. She and Serge were the ones trying to alert the rest of his imminent outbursts, but they were getting mixed results. Sometimes he'd sneeze, others he'd stop at the last moment, and so nobody really knew it was going to happen. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue, but they'd left Cunabula early that morning and were heading up the moors towards the snowy mountains to the north.

"Well, it's only going to get colder from here on out… we should've gotten you some clothes, anything that could've helped you retain some heat."

"I'd rather be dead than wearing any pansy dress!"

"It doesn't have to be anything like that! Look at me." Eric showed the Nox his scarf, winter cap and the sweater he was wearing underneath the cloak he had. It was extremely good at retaining some heat, something his fur didn't particularly excel at either.

"Well, maybe Elly could've made me something?"

"I would've if you'd let me! But every time I try to take your measurements and numbers to make you something you're just cracking sex jokes! How am I supposed to work like that?!"

"They're only jokes they're not supposed to hurt you! The cold is! I feel I could die at any point!"

"Well… if that's the case, it's gonna get worse from here on out kiddo. Imagine being up there in the sky, how cold it is… well, it's gonna be something like that, but worst."

"Ugh… can't I just like, stay on top of you in your feathers or something?"

"Oh sure, and then Lucy wants to catch a ride, next is Zed and next thing I know I turn into a Zebstrika pulling a carriage of your fatasses."

"Hey! The only fatass here is Elly!" Lucy was quick to throw even more shade at someone else, if anything for the sake of humor, which Elly took… quite well.

"Oh you bitch! I thought we'd dropped that already!" Even though she had sweared, she did with a smile on her face…. but she had said a bad word still, and the others made sure she knew it with glances and chuckles. "What? It's obvious I didn't mean it."

"Meaning it or not, you're still going to put money into the swear jar when we get back. Nox and Serge didn't say anything… for a change." Everyone shared a good chuckle except for Vincent, who was… quite surprised by this development.

"You are all incredibly… lax. Is this normal, or are you simply staging it all to lure me into a false sense of security?" Jake, being the closest to him, took it upon himself to answer.

"Well, so far I'm afraid you've only seen our outer appearance. We must act in an official way in front of those we simply do not trust or we must intimidate. However, in reality… this is how we all interact on a personal level."

"I think Eric once put it very well… that we are sort of like… a big family." Vincent couldn't help but chuckle at Zed's words.

"He said that? My, I didn't take him for a romantic."

"But there is truth in that statement: our bickering, our lifestyles and our relationships are similar to those of families… it's just that we lack the blood ties between us."

"Besides… they always say that family aren't the pokémon you're related to, but rather the pokémon that make you happy and enjoy life." Everyone fell silent while Zed said this, and he ended up being the only one talking, which made him embarrassed and immediately look at the grass. It seemed that his words had rung true with many of the pokémon there, including Vincent, who thought about them long and hard.

"Family, eh? Hmmm… Well, I do suppose that's true. It has been a terribly long time since I last saw my family, but I was certainly blessed to have those two realities coexist in my case."

"Ooooh, privileged." He could not tell whether or not Lucy was mocking him with that statement.

"Actually, come to think of it, where are you from, Vincent?" Serge decided to continue that line of conversation, hopeful that they could learn something more about their new temporal companion.

"Didn't I tell you all during yesterday's dinner?"

"Maybe… unfortunately some of us don't hold our interactions with you with the fondest of memories." Eric's words were an indicator that he hadn't completely forgiven the Roselia… which Vincent honestly had expected at that point.

"So resentful… but I suppose it couldn't hurt to speak for a bit, perhaps restart this entire relationship, bury the hatchet and all of that. But I digress: I hail from this very region, Kanto, to the south, the border between Kanto and Johto."

"Oh wow, really? I thought that area was…"

"Mostly a wreckage? My, you're reading some antiquated history books! Some places are very ill fitted for life sure, where there is next to no basic infrastructure… but there are some cities where pokémon thrive and live. I was fortunate enough to be born in the latter. Still, the conditions in the lower areas is nowhere as bad as it is in Hoenn."

"Alright, let's NOT get political today… or I'll sneeze on your ass."

"Now now, there's no need to be so touchy! I was only saying that so that you had a better understanding of the area, that is all! I am sorry if I seemingly touched on a raw nerve." He cleared his throat and returned to the original topic. "The area is war torn still, even if it has been almost fifty years since the final truce and peace treaty between Johto and Kanto. And Johto has more pressing issues as it stands with the separatist movements off to the left."

"Well I mean, Johto IS the largest region in the world, followed by Kanto, then Sinnoh, Unova and then Hoenn. And Johto is like… twice as big as Kanto." Thanks to his bird's eye view, Serge could attest to what the Riolu said, nodding with his words, the Roselia joining them.

"It's surprising how much belief in Arceus' return has united the region when you think about it… but thankfully we don't have to go anywhere near there. Last thing I need is for some more religious creeps to start breathing down my neck." Eric cocked his head to look at Elly, but knew that the conversation about the differences between devotion and radicalism weren't on her mind. Besides, she was right to say that if they knew the truth of who she was, radicals or not they'd probably make quite the fuss.

"Perhaps so… but maybe we shouldn't look a gift ponyta in the mouth and calmly accept the peace that has been brought about during the last half of the century, don't you think? And besides, perhaps the armed conflict has stopped, but there is an on-going political and economic battle… but once again, I do believe I am falling back into politics that regrettably involve Hoenn."

"Damn right they do. I'm not gonna let ya talk trash about Hoenn dude, that's just fucked up." Out of everyone in the team, during their recent stay in the fragmented region, he'd been affected the most by all they'd seen and the extremists they'd interrogated. Never crossing over to torture methods, of course, but he'd been shocked at what they said constantly and the state in the which the pokémon in Hoenn lived. He shook his head as his mind drifted off to that, trying to keep his mind off of the fact that as far as their visit was concerned, they'd barely touched the tip of the iceberg. Vincent, on the other hand, also stopped, knowing that the fire type was capable and willing enough to burn him, if anything to teach him a lesson, and yet he was very intrigued by how he kept coming out to the defense of Hoenn.

Either way, the small talk continued for the next few minutes, followed by a long stretch of silence as they all focused on their own issues and thoughts. The landscape around them wasn't bare, but they could already see signs of the temperatures taking their toll on the area. For starters, they were yet to come across a single village or carriage, sign no doubt of the almost swamp like conditions of the moor. The grass below the feet was still very much green and lush, but little pearls of water tickled their feet as they walked. Eric decided to walk out of the path and simply breathed in and took in the landscape: patches of grass and water extended out below them, heading for a valley, whilst behind them the winding road ascended and snaked between hills, the air becoming colder and colder as they travelled. Behind those hills, the moor and the grass were slowly replaced by the naked rock, save for a few bushes and tiny trees.

"This is starting to remind me of home…" Lucy commented. The grassless hills were eerily reminiscent of the rocky area where her village was located, but of course it was much more different. Not only was the air there much more humid, it was also colder, the type of cold that seeped through their skin and to their bones, making some shiver where they stood, and Nox's sneezes only got worse and worse. An hour of similar looking landscape passed as they went up and down roads in the mountains, only exchanging a few words to point out weak rocks or exclamations when someone almost tripped and fell, triggering some laughter from the others. After a while, finally they saw the first signs of snow, tiny sparkling crystals lay on the ground in front of them, and slowly those grew into pure white mounds, the temperature dropping drastically.

"Brrrr! Arceus damned, it's freezing here!" Nox shouted, finding the cold almost unbearable, whilst Jake felt quite at home, the cold temperatures bringing a slight smile to his face. It wasn't often he could enjoy such temperatures, as living near the coast meant the water allowed for better retention of the heat.

"That probably means we're really close to the Lawin Everfrost…" Eric stopped as he was halfway through climbing a rocky area of the path, pointing upwards. "Probably past that cliff we'll be able to see the valley."

"The Lawin… Everfrost?" Zed inquired, unfamiliar with the name., continuing the climb after Eric, who made it to the top just as he finished speaking.

"I must say I have never been to this area before… thus I haven't heard that name being used to refer to this place. Might I ask wh-" Vincent was close behind Zed, and he fell silent once he reached the top, eyes widening, though his mouth didn't hang open in awe like the others when they saw what extended before them.

The path went further down the hill, which became much more dangerous the further down they went, down to an area where there was more green than the mountain they stood on. However, it was mostly moss, as the tundra extended to a crystalline lake, parted by an ancient wooden bridge just a few inches above the surface of the water. And just across, snow, few patches of green moss and bare black rocks were all they could see. The sky above them was clear, but near the mountains the clouds were a light gray, and they could see and feel tiny snowflakes flying around, gentle breezes of wind carrying a sharp cold nobody was prepared for asides from Serge, who'd been there before during his travels.

"Right… so the area is called the Lawin Everfrost, there we have Lake Tengu, and further beyond Lawin Valley between the mountains, where Akil is. The entire region is the Lawin Everfrost because quite literally, as the name suggests, this entire place is always frozen and cold, every time of the year." This news came as a bit of a shock to the group, though they were mostly absorbed by the beauty of the landscape and the fact they had to climb down the mountain they were on to get to the valley.

"I had read about this place in certain books and encyclopedias… although this entire area is located to the far north of the region, almost touching the great glaciers, the fact that snowfalls and frosts are extremely common in this area is highly abnormal… then again, during this time of year, the temperatures are so low that the water between the glaciers themselves and this peninsula freezes and allows one to walk across the ice. Rumors have it that Unova and Kanto were once connected like this, hence why there is pokémon life in Unova now."

"Huh… cool." Jake turned to look at Nox, who answered, and the fire type quickly defended himself. "I swear, that one wasn't intentional."

"Oh, of course it wasn't." The ice type wasn't too keen on those types of puns.

"Jake, you need to chill out… this is not a place t-" Eric soundly facepalmed as he said that, the echo spreading through the mountain and eliciting laughter from the others, whilst Elly stared at her mate, baffled and scared, asking what was wrong. "I swear, this place is going to be the end of me." He sighed and kept moving further down, leading the group through the safest route. Thankfully, nobody had fallen down, and even though the fall was nowhere near fatal, and the probability of such a large group being assaulted by bandits was next to none, breaking a leg or twisting an ankle was a bad way to start their trek to the village.

They stopped right next to the Lake's shore to eat. They didn't have to start a fire, since the light was good enough, but the cold forced them to stick together and share body heat.

"Well… if there's one thing that I like about this place it's the fact the food doesn't go to waste." The berries, albeit cold, were still ripe, even if they'd been picked and bought that very morning, and after a light snack and some time to relax and wander aimlessly, Eric, Elly and Serge packed up and called everyone back to the bridge to cross over and head into Lawin proper, the lake serving as some sort of natural boundary. Nox was sticking by the group, not keen on the idea of being isolated and freezing half to death, whilst Vincent lounged around the shore of the lake, Jake a few meters away from him up to his knees in the water, pondering and admiring the beauty around him.

"Well someone looks extremely happy to be here. Is this your home, per chance?" Vincent inquired as Jake returned to shore. The Sneasel didn't answer immediately, but once he was done drying his legs he shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. Coincidentally, this is the first time I have seen snow… well, that is not entirely true, but it is the first time I have seen such a landscape."

"Were you not born in a cold region?" Once again, his inquiry was met with a negative. "Where then?"

"I'm afraid that is a bit of a personal matter." His dry answer told Vincent there was no room for negotiation… but he wasn't about to give up.

"Hey, I told you lot where I was born and where I come from, but you guys have yet to open up to me. Wouldn't it be fair that I at least know why you're so passionate about this area? What harm can spreading this information do?" Jake wasn't trusting of the grass type, not at all… but he was right: it would be disrespectful to not return the favour, as they said, and he wasn't about to lower himself to his level.

"Well… if you must know I was born during the Time Freeze. As of now I am sixteen years of age, if you count the twenty years where time was frozen.

"Sixteen? Good grief, but you act as if you were-"

"Are you two coming or what?! Come on, we don't want to have to set up camp during the night! If we get caught by a blizzard before reaching the village we're boned!" Lucy managed to hold herself back, motioning with her head to the group that was already crossing the bridge, forcing the conversing bipeds to rush to their companions.

"Well… that comes as a surprise to me." Once they caught up, Vincent continued from where he left off.

"It surprises a lot of pokémon, yes… but please, do not ask me about my past or about the others. I am afraid that telling a semi-stranger the secrets of my companions would be incredibly disrespectful towards them." Though he stopped talking there, inside his mind he had to restrain himself to not say that some had outright kept their origins hidden, or mostly hidden at best. Vincent understood this and empathized with the sentiment, staying quiet as the wood creaked underneath them, making Nox look as if he was about to bolt for the other side, same as Lucy.

The two were walking almost side by side, sticking right up against each other and shooting looks of worry and fear at the water besides them, while the others watched this, somewhat amused. "Nox, stop pushing against me, you're gonna throw me into the water!"

"Wh-what?! You're the one pushing **me**! THe water here is shallow you aren't going to drown, so stop being so scared!"

"I'm not scared!"

"Yes you are!"

"No!"

"Yes!" Each time they pushed against the other as they spoke, almost as if trying to push the other inside, shouting and screaming the entire way, their bickering essentially getting on everyone's nerves… until Serge snapped.

"Alright, that's it, both of you are going into the drink." He advanced towards them menacingly, extending his wings, and the two pokémon panicked, bolting forward and tackling past Eric and Elly. Whilst the Eevee didn't move too much, Eric almost fell backwards and into the water, though was saved by Elly's opportune timing, grabbing his scarf with her psychic hold before he went any further… albeit he was in an awkward angle, his ears barely touching the water. He was also being strangled by her psychic hold, and what was initially quite a funny posture soon turned into quite a scare, as Elly pulled him back with haste once she realized this, her smile disappearing.

Meanwhile, the other two had made it across and were relaxing on the snow, which was melting underneath Nox's heat, chuckling at the entire sequence of events. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up… if that'd been you I would've let you two fall straight in, and then you deal with the cold and whatever it is you catch!" She wasn't happy that had happened, but they didn't care, the others chuckling too. Once they were across, they began to trudge through the snow. This time, Nox took the lead for one simple reason: his body heat essentially melted the snow as he moved through it, and made it easier for them to move, almost as if he made a path through it. It wasn't anything too serious, but the other quadrupeds were having some issues traversing, and Zed eventually had to get on Serge's head from how difficult getting through it was turning out to be.

"Geez… I'll let this one slide but you gotta man up a little Zed! Why not just… transform into something?"

"With this cold? No way… transforming takes a bit of concentration, and I'm literally freezing here." Sure enough, he was shaking like a leaf on Serge, even though his feathers were incredible at retaining the heat. Luckily, it didn't take them long to reach the valley they'd been speaking about, and though the cold got worse and worse and a light snowstorm started blowing their way, the setting sun shone through the snowflakes and gave them the visibility needed to spot the town, a few kilometers away from the mountain they stood on. Before them extended a vast snow white valley, not a spot of green asides from the tall, long pine trees having grown, covered in the same pure white powder, those dark signs of life visible only underneath this coat of white.

"Wow… this place looks incredible. There's a load of snow too." Elly voiced everyone's thoughts as they stared at the landscape, mesmerized by its serene beauty.

"I don't think this is normal here, even at this time of year." Jake was the one to point this out as they descended the side of the cliff and approached the bottom. They could see that the trees were actually somewhat buried under the snow. It wasn't until they got to the very bottom however, that they didn't realize the severity of the situation: at the bottom, a path had been dug from the base of the mountain all the way to the middle of the valley, the snow having progressively built up to being taller than Eric, only Serge being capable of peeking out. Not only that, but there were pokémon there, seemingly digging out that path, who were terribly shocked to see them. A Beartic gave a cry of alarm and the other pokémon, a couple Snorunt and a Glalie turned to face them, the piles of snow they'd been digging up falling to the ground.

"Halt! Travellers! Turn around this instant, this place is no longer safe! If you hurry, you may still be able to return to where you came!"

Eric, being the leader of the team, walked up and try to speak for them. "Calm down, we didn't come unprepared. We-"

"Didn't come unprepared you say? Bloody hell you're wearing nothing but a scarf yourself! That hat and that sweater will do you no good, and… is that a Houndour? For the love… are you trying to kill the poor sod or something?!"

"Actually, considering where we are I have my doubts." Nox decided to be funny at a pretty inconvenient time, but at least Vincent found that sentence amusing.

"Now's not the time… alright, let's get to the point: We are an exploration team, Team Star, and we've come here on special behalf of the ETF and its highest representative, Ferrus the Lucario, to try and help Akil survive through this abnormal cold." For a second, he saw the Beartic's eyes widen at the mention of the name Team Star, but once again, doubt settled in. Even after he showed him their official badge, the large ice type had his doubts and worries.

"Well… awfully nice for them to send some help, but… This ain't gonna cut it pal. We didn't ask for some itsy bitsy explorers, we asked for a full blown large operation."

"Well… We are as big as they have. Besides, a full team of seven highly trained pokémon should be more than enough to deal with anything you have, right?"

"Eight, Eric. I am afraid you didn't count me." Vincent took a few steps forward and gave Eric a coy smile before looking forward, using that fabricated smile he'd perfected. "Vincent, at your service." The Beartic looked at his hand, confused as to what he was offering, and even after the Roselia shook it again, he still didn't catch on to what he was supposed to do.

"Yeah well… if you ain't gonna do much with seven, eight isn't gonna be enough either now is it? We asked for like… fifty pokémon, maybe more."

"Fifty pokémon?! Are you outta your mind?!" Lucy's outburst was heard by all, and she got a few stern gazes from the teammates, muttering an unapologetic 'sorry' and looking away, mildly annoyed. It seemed that the Beartic hadn't taken offence to her words.

"Eh, honestly I don't blame ya… that's what they probably thought back there in Cunabula, so that's why they sent you guys… you ain't to blame, it's just those shit headed bureaucrats."

"Preach it, my friend." Once again, Vincent's words were received with scorn from the others but the Beartic. "But I digress, why is it that you want fifty pokémon? The threat here doesn't seem that real."

"Well, isn't it obvious? We're getting everyone out of here. Whole town's migrating somewhere warmer." The Beartic pointed at the sun above their heads, which was slowly setting. "You see that? That's the only thing keeping any of us alive. When it goes down, you're going to know what true cold is. And I do mean that in the worst possible way: ice types have already died from frostbite. It is that severe."

"You're kiddin' me." Nox's sank through the floor when the Beartic said that, now visibly scared while everyone turned to face the ice type in shock.

"Wish I were, kid. Now, are you gonna take my word and turn around, or are you lot gonna press your luck to try and help us?" The Beartic wore a grim look on his face, enough of a warning to dissuade any other pokémon… but of course, none of them were exactly normal, and the bear had noticed this from the very beginning. With a sigh, he conceded. "Right… well, come along now, we were planning on going back home anyways. It's dangerous to be outside this late, lest the blizzard catches you off guard or if there's an avalanche." He whistled to call the other pokémon's attention. "Aight boys, pack it up! This is all we can do!"

"Cross your fingers this works, we ain't have much time left Leon!"

"Think I don't know that? Get your asses in gear or you'll be frozen, nice work today everyone." The beartic, his name now known to the Team, ordered the voluntaries to go back home with their families, and none of them could really say no to such an offer. Leon took the lead as he lead the group through the pathway and to the village, the amount of snow gradually decreasing as they went deeper into the valley. The village before them was actually pretty expansive, many tall buildings, amongst them an observatory too, built right up against the cliff, overlooking the village, even if it constituted of one long main road with mirrored wooden buildings on either side. Each was of different sizes, and at the very end of the road the hills curved and descended to something beyond their sight.

"Over there are the glaciers. They are dangerous this time of year, even if the ice has settled and it's safe to walk on it, there are many areas where there is no water, and instead one can plummet to the darkness below the glaciers themselves."

"Wait, you're telling me that there's actual hollow space underneath the ice?" Serge, who'd been there in other occasions, had never noticed this… probably because he didn't go anywhere close to ground level if he could help it.

"Yeah, kinda like… another world. It's insanely cold down there, even an ice type has problems, so there is no reason to go there. Anyways, as you can plainly see…" Leon broadened his arms and invited them to inspect the village: the road was completely empty, doors were locked tight, some covered in snow too, smoke coming from each and every single one last of the houses. Not a child could be seen playing outside, even if the sun was still shining down. Elly thought that back home, in Treasure Town, it was the dead of night, but up there the sun was just setting, it's usual warm orange glow now feeling more distant than ever, making them dread the coming cold blue moonlight. The haunting sight was only accentuated by the falling snowflakes, tiny shards of what seemed glass refracting the light in front of the burning star.

"It's so… empty." Elly pointed out the obvious, but her words only accentuated the emptiness, echoing slightly.

"Everyone is waiting in their homes, preparing for the night. Consistently, every night for the past several months, that blizzard above their heads gets stronger and blows down on the valley, freezing everything and covering everything in snow. This is why we've been working extremely hard to make a clear path for us to lead everyone out of the valley without having them sink under the snow. At this rate though…" Leon definitely sounded somber as he lead the group to a large tall wooden building, which he explained was the hotel. "There's obviously no tourists staying here, so you will find it all empty. I recommend you stay in the main hall during the night, right next to the fireplace. And… do not, and I repeat, do **not** lose sight of your fire type friend."

Nox looked pretty scared right now, unsure of whether the Beartic was joking or not. "Wait, you still haven't answered any of our questions. Why is this happening and why do you want to evacuate the town now of all times? We're here to help you survive this by finding the source and eliminating it, not by taking you out of here." Eric finally found the time to speak up and explain what his team was there to do.

The ice type rose an eyebrow and looked at him, smirking. "You really don't have any idea of what you've gotten yourselves into, have you?" Nobody spoke back to Leon, which was enough of an answer for him.

"Right… well, I guess I should explain myself then. As you heard before, the name's Leon, and I'm the leader of the Snowtrackers, a group of voluntaries that banded together to try and fight back against the effects of the curse on this land."

"The… curse? Are you suggesting that there is an inexplicable force acting maliciously in this region?" Jake wasn't superstitious, but given the strange conditions these pokémon were living in… he was more acceptant of those types of explanations. The others simply listened, at this point buying anything the Beartic said.

"Curse indeed… see, it's a long tradition for us folks here in Akil. I'm far from being the eldest in the village, but traditions here are pretty important when it has anything to do with the gods of the mountains. You see, that peak above our heads…" He pointed at the twisting mass of snow above their heads, hovering above the highest peak of the ridge of mountains surrounding the valley. "That's the Howling Spire, and that's where the blizzards are coming from. At the top there's a shrine that's very sacred to us, the people of Akil, where we offer tribute to the gods of the mountains and the founder of this village and original discoverer of the region, Akil himself."

"Woah woah woah… please slow down, trying to wrap my head around the whole… you know… some angry god blowing cold wind down to this village to try and kill everyone. I mean… doesn't that sound kind of ridiculous? No offense." Lucy definitely didn't mean any offense, and Leon didn't take any, shaking his head.

"I know, don't worry… It is strange for anyone who doesn't belong to the village, but for us it was an extremely important event. Legend has it that when Akil came to the region, it was like you saw it: covered in ice and forever buried in snow. Because he thought it was inhospitable and believed true beauty waited underneath, he went up to the highest mountain, the closest he could get to the gods, and spoke to them. He pleaded they let the sun shine down in this barren region and let his people live there in peace. His wish was granted, but he was encased in ice and trapped forever at the top of the mountain, a seal protecting him from the outside world." The team had turned away to face the mountain itself, mesmerized by the tail and the myth surrounding it.

The peak itself was barely visible, merely a shadow, a twisted hook pointing sky high, parting through the storm clouding it, hail descending from it, transforming into snow which in turn covered the entire area in that infernal coat. Jake was the first to crouch and brush away the snow, and sure enough, deep down, dead green grass met him back, and in some patches it was still very much alive, showing that life persevered, as always. "That, is the beauty Akil saw in this land hundreds of years ago… But unfortunately, it seems nothing's made to last." He looked at the mountain now. "A few months ago, the temperatures suddenly dropped at the beginning of autumn, and ever since they've been descending. The cold has already claimed a couple of elderly pokémon and m- a child. They were caught off-guard by one of the first blizzards that swept the town… and after much mourning the night curfew was enforced, for everyone's safety, and the plan to evacuate the town was put in motion."

Once he'd finished his depressing tale and the others were up to speed, reality sank in: they'd been waiting for something much different than a small team of explorers, but that was exactly what they'd gotten… and at the same time, they'd been sent into an extremely dangerous area. There was no doubt in their minds that Ferrus hadn't actively sought to do them harm or kill them, but that was clearly an assignment they weren't ready for, at least with what these pokémon had in mind. "That is… We are deeply sorry to hear that, mister Leon."

"Please… I accepted long ago that it isn't the time to cry. It's the time to act. To make sure no one else goes through that, that no one else dies. That's what matters in the end. We will leave if we must, even if it pains us deeply to leave the lands our hero made for us. Now that you know what is happening, we should be on our respective ways: night time is almost here, I'll be praying you survive. There should be more than enough wood down in the basement. Food will be an issue however, as it's scarce enough as is."

"Oh yeah, regarding that…" HIs brief comment reminded Eric of their second request. "You notified that someone was stealing the food during the night? How do you think that's possible if it's impossible to walk around at night without running a severe risk of dying?" The Beartic crossed his arms and closed his eyes, glancing every so often at the sun, which was dangerously close to disappearing over the horizon the longer this conversation went on.

"Now, ain't that a tricky one… Yeah, it's true, someone's been stealing the food, but only me and a few of folks at the town hall know about that. Guess whoever wrote that letter included that detail in there. As far as I'm concerned though… that's the least of our worries, we're leaving tomorrow and we took most of the food somewhere else and have guards watching it constantly. So whoever wants to steal food now is gonna have a rough time doing so. Seriously though, we should cut this short, because the sun is almost gone. If we all survive, we can continue this tomorrow, alright?"

Considering the conditions they'd found the village in and how nervous he looked, they had no reason to think he was lying. On top of that, the blizzard was getting stronger and stronger by the minute, and the cold was starting to get to the rest, Nox scuttling up to Serge whilst he kept sneezing like crazy, melting the snow underneath them. "Yeah I think we should go somewhere warm, Nox might catch something bad at this rate."

"Yeah, you don't… **Achoo!** Say! What gave that away?!" He sneezed at least three more times while they said their farewells to Leon and headed into the building… or rather tried to, as when Jake attempted to open the doors they found only a light coat of snow and frost falling on him. "Oh come on! Don't tell me the thing's frozen solid! I'll burn this place to the fucking ground if I have to!"

"Geez, you're really cold…" He was trembling even more than Zed was, and Zed had probably the second thickest fur out of everyone. Jake attempted to open it again, but it would not budge, essentially a frozen block of wood blocking their way inside. Eric rolled his eyes and pushed Jake out of the way, putting his shoulder forward and banging on the door a few times until it finally gave, making him faceplant into the dusty wooden floor. This elicited a few chuckles from the group, relieving some stress from the task ahead as they headed in to shelter themselves from the cold.

* * *

"Aaaaah… this is actually pretty friggin' awesome." Nox couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief between sips of hot berry soup from his mug. Zed had found a pot in the kitchen area and some extra food and pastries, and so they'd decided to make themselves something warm. After ransacking most of the rooms in search of sheets and other things to cover themselves and conserve their warmth, the group had done as Leon had told them and bunched up around the fireplace. Nox was the closest to the source of heat, being the one sustaining it with his flames and covered in a layer of sheets. Serge was already snoring away, the comfort of the warmth proving to be too much for the sleep easy bird, while Zed, Lucy, Eric and Elly were hugged together with their respective mates underneath a thick blanket. The only ones still pacing around the room were Vincent and Jake, who glanced outside through the window.

"Arceus… they were not kidding when they said the snowstorms were brutal. I can't see anything outside." The only thing they could see outside was the stream of snow falling on their heads, the wind hitting the windows and making them tremble, almost as if the entire house itself shivered.

"No wonder they want to leave… I cannot see anyone surviving in such a harsh environment." Vincent leaned up against the fireplace, in front of Nox. "But it can't be just me who thinks this a bit too odd. Blizzards so cold they can actually kill ice types are something unheard of in this world."

"Well, it is a big place… but I have my doubts too yeah. Their biology shouldn't allow them to die like that." Zed's observation confused Lucy, who inquired on what he meant by that. "Think about it: ice types always seem to be so physically cold, right? But if they were cold blooded, then that'd mean they wouldn't be able to live out in the cold. So each species has some way to defend themselves from the cold, be it insulating fur or skin, like Jake's." The Sneasel nodded. "Or incredibly thick fur with fat, like Leon earlier, and to some extent feathers, like Serge."

"Huh, wha." He stirred to consciousness as he heard his own name being mentioned, slurping the drool from his beak. "What'd I miss. What?" The others chuckled at his reaction and Lucy looked at Zed in awe, nuzzling him.

"So smart!"

"Actually… that is rather basic information Lucy." Elly couldn't help but tease her friend a little bit, which ended with the Shinx sticking her tongue out at her.

"Well, I'm sorry I didn't receive an education."

"I taught myself mostly… I just read a whole lot of books and learned about pretty useful stuff. Maybe you should give it a try?"

"Naaah, that sounds boring! You know I like running around all over the place! Besides, I bet ya I know a couple of things you don't know about electricity, it's my specialty after all."

"And there's also the fact that if you didn't know how it worked you'd probably end up hurting yourself. Though to be honest… You probably figured all of that out through trial and error." Eric's theory seemed to hit the nail on the head, as her tongue turned to the Riolu, she scoffed and retreated deep into the recesses of her blanket, seemingly teasing the Zorua besides him as he let out a loud 'Yip!'.

"So you're self taught, Elly? That is quite an accomplishment, to be so cultured and intelligent only by reading books and literacy…" They could tell Vincent's stream of verbose was slowly approaching, and so she decided to stop him.

"Please, don't start twisting around your tongue so much. It gets annoying." His eyes widened as the others chuckled.

"Ooowned."

"What? Bu- Oh, fine then, I shall go straight to the point: were your parents unable to afford appropriate schooling?" The question dropped on her head like a bucket of cold water, and Eric glared at the grass type. That look was all he needed to know, as he fell silently after muttering a less than sincere apology.

"Alright alright people… let's stop that conversation right there before we go down a depressing road. Situation's already shitty enough, specially for us guys."

"Huh? Why?" Zed innocently asked, and Serge's smirk immediately made them all regret the Zorua had ever spoken up.

"Because whenever you go to the bathroom, you run the risk of getting a popsicle!" He burst into chuckles whilst the others either groaned or chuckled along.

"Arceus damn it Serge, that's disgusting." Even if Elly pointed this out, Eric was already chuckling along, getting the elbow from her.

"What? It's true! It's a real danger. You wouldn't know, you don't have to-"

"Ok, no I don't need to hear this right now. Please no." She covered her ears and folded them to the sides of her head, blushing.

"Oh come on what are you blushing about now?! You've already seen all I have to offer!"

"Eric stooop!" At this point the smile on the Riolu's face couldn't go wider as he pulled her into a hug and closer to him, making her scream as they fell backwards, rolling on the ground and becoming a cocoon in their bed sheets, everyone else looking at their interaction in a mix of amusement and confusion, whilst Lucy stuck her head out, made as if she gagged and then returned to her kingdom of warmth and fur. After a bit Elly's screams and complaints transformed into giggles as she got over it, the couple getting back to their original position.

"You guys done with all that? You are literally the corniest couple I've ever met, and I've met a ton of couples in my life." Serge's observation didn't face them, and instead they nuzzled together, ignoring his criticisms.

"Yeah well, at the very least they have a stable relationship. That is something you cannot boast about, now can you?" Jake's swift comeback made everyone wince or hiss, the Pidgeot shifting to face him and shooting a look of betrayal in his direction.

"Et tu, brute?" This made everyone laugh, including Jake, who recognized the reference. "Besides, you're one to talk about, you're still a virgin!" His observation was met with a strange look for Jake, making him lift his finger and then a frown… a combination that Serge hadn't predicted. "Wait a minute…" He stared at him for a longer time, narrowing his gaze to scrutinize every facet of Jake's face… "You son of a bitch!" He jumped up from his seat and immediately Jake attempted to silence him.

"You're misunderstanding! My private life is of no concern to you!"

"The hell it isn't! Boy do you know who I am?! You didn't even have to ask for me for help, and I'm supposed to be the wingman!"

"You a wingman?! You drive females away from you with the amount of testosterone you willfully emit!"

"Wait wait hold on, back up!" Everyone but Vincent had gotten up and looked at Jake, unsure of what was happening, and it was Nox that demanded they explain the situation better.

"This guy's already jumped someone else's bones! And I wasn't notified?!" The surprise spread through to everyone else… except for Vincent, who didn't know what in the world was so special about Jake being in a relationship.

"I don't have any need to notify you of what I do in my personal life! And besides… this is a very serious matter that I do not wish to share with anyone! You have misinterpreted my words and motions, and I shall make myself clear: I have not fornicated with any other pokémon on this world that I would love or desire." By then the damage was already done, and if they had learned anything from the Sneasel was that he was a terrible liar. They continued to press him for answers, trying to pry the answer from his lips… but something in his eyes convinced even Serge that this wasn't such a good idea. Still, the teasing was all in good fun, and Jake knew this… they had no way to know what had transpired.

"Come oooon, tell us the name of the lucky g-" Serge's question was interrupted by the sound of bricks and plans shifting snapped everyone from their stupor, looking around. "Did… did you guys hear that?" For a second, they all stood still and held their breaths… and there it was, again, even closer, the sound of something scratching against the bricks outside, this time far closer to the windows.

"Shitting hell… is that… someone outside?!" Nox's exclamations got Eric out of his shared cocoon of blankets and approached the door. Just getting a bit far from the fireplace was enough to make him shiver, the temperature dropping quickly to being far colder than what it'd been earlier that morning. He carefully leaned against the wall and looked over the wooden frame, trying to catch a glance of whoever was outside… but he could see nothing, the streets empty whilst the hail seemed to be their only companion that night.

"There's nobody out there." He stood up and double checked, looking both ways… and still nothing to be seen. He turned around and headed back to the group… when someone started slamming on the door, scaring the entire group. Vincent was the first to react adopting a fighting stance with a hand above his head, almost as if ready to lunge at whatever came through with an invisible weapon, and Eric's arms were already being charged up with aura, the others taking just a bit longer to snap out of their shock and prepare for whatever was going to happen… but eventually, the slamming stopped. The door stood still for a few seconds, and once again the scratching noises were heard, this time right up against the wall between the door and the window. Eric expected to see something or someone crawling against the wall, guiding themselves through the snow with only their sight. But instead he stared back at that white nothingness, until the sound finally disappeared.

The sensation of dread in the air lingered for a long time, during the which nobody made a sound, still coming down from the adrenaline rush those noises had put them through. Thoughts ran through their heads, wondering what it was that had transpired. The scratching noises could've been easily written off as the sound of the hail hitting the walls or something equally logical in a sense… but the way that door bent and was almost pushed out of its hinges made them shiver in discomfort. There was something or someone out there, during the time where essentially any living thing would curl up and die from the cold.

And it had tried to get to them to do Arceus knew what.

After a few more seconds, the air visibly relaxed, and the cozy warmth of the fire reached even Eric, who walked backwards to where he'd come. Chuckles and sighs of relief spread through the group, and Nox just burst into nervous laughter. "Dude, who in the fu-"

A gurgling screech echoed from the fireplace, a voice carried by that chilling wind as snow, hail, ice and that gust of freezing wind burst through the hole, extinguishing the fire in an instant as the sound of the snowstorm around the house intensified. They all turned to fireplace, but the wind was too strong, snow already piling up and threatening to bury an unaware Nox, spreading all over the room in the span of seconds. And the cold… Zed, Lucy and Nox opened their mouths to let out an exclamation, but they found their drool and mouth frozen solid the moment they opened them, closing their eyes to protect them from freezing too.

" _This isn't a normal snowstorm… this is an attack!_ " Eric trudged through the snow as he said this, grabbing a chair and smashing it, trying to clear the fireplace of snow to start the fire again. He was also forced to close his eyes from the cold. " _This is…_ " He couldn't use his aura to see either, unable to focus enough. The shouts from his teammates were barely audible by this point in his head, instead replaced by swearing or incoherent shouts as Elly joined Eric to try and start the fire, Elly using her black craft to try and block the entrance… but to her horror, the cold wind was too strong and blew even her magic away.

" _I can't block it!_ " Eric was having more and more difficulties to hold the wood in his paws, and the moment it slipped out of his grasp and onto the snow… he noticed that he was already waist deep in it, and couldn't feel his lower half anymore…

"Bastard…. **Who are you?!** " He shouted in anger at the top of his lungs, a grave mistake as the air slipped into his body immediately…

" _Serge!"_

Jake's exclamation made everyone weakly look at the Pidgeot, standing on top of the snow… his left wing glowing intensely.

" **Sare!** " He swung his limb, and with it a strong gale washed over the room, the cold air retreating, as it seemingly condensed into a quadruped shape, semi-transparent before it retreated through the chimney again, leaving the room is complete darkness as the temperature rose and went back to normal. Eric breathed in and coughed, his mouth and throat incredibly dry, swallowing and breathing out to melt whatever was in his mouth still whilst he looked around, check to see if they were ok whilst Elly dashed to the fireplace, pushing the snow out of the way and repeating what Eric had done a few moments ago, generating friction with the stick to try and start up a fire to warm them up. She used this in conjunction with her pyrokinesis, and after a few seconds of intense focus a blazing fire erupted from the wood, spreading warmth rather quickly throughout the room.

"Is… everyone alright? Eric?" She was still very shaken from the sudden rush of adrenaline, but the Riolu coughed and spit a couple more times and gave her a thumbs up, saying he was alright.

"We are ok here…" Zed lifted the sheet and revealed himself and lucy, cuddling together and shaking. Jake got out from under the snow and nodded, and Vincent simply had to shake some snow off of his shoulders. However, Nox didn't answer, and the silence that followed the Roselia's motion made them uncomfortable.

"Hey! Nox! Are you alright?" Again, more silence. "Nox?" Lucy became panicked in two short sentences as Eric looked at the Houndour: he was lying on the snow, face down, and didn't seem to be moving. "Nox! This isn't funny! Nox! **Nox!** "

"Nox!" Eric reached for the Houndour and flipped him onto his back, putting him as close to the fire as he could. He was much colder than usual, but could still feel warmth from him.

"Kiddo!"

"He's alright, he's just… fainted." Vincent walked over to them and gently pushed Eric away.

"Allow me." Zed looked at the grass type and slipped out from underneath the sheet, going over, having some medical knowledge himself. "Hmmm… his temperature has dropped considerably. Keep him as close to the fire as possible and bring some blankets, we must warm him." Zed nodded, reaching the same conclusion and the two headed to gather sheets and blankets, quickly bringing them over to the like warm Houndour, who Eric was keeping near the fire source, throwing the cloths over him.

"I'll go get whatever leftovers there were from dinner and I'll warm them."

"Yes, that'll do wonders for him. Hurry." Zed left briefly only to come back with a pot, holding it over the fireplace, which was already melting the snow that was still around them. Elly, Lucy and Eric were nervous, as the Riolu kept checking the Houndour's pulse and temperature level with his paws, comparing it with his own, whilst the females did their best to push the snow out of the way so it wouldn't bother anyone. Eventually, Nox hummed and groaned as he came back to consciousness. "There he is!"

"Wah… what happened…" He started shaking, the coldest he'd ever been. His muscles could barely move besides from the shivering, and his throat was still dry. Eric carefully got him to sit up, talking him through the whole process to calm the Houndour and handed him a cup of the warm berry stew they'd had for dinner. Albeit he ended up coughing up the first chug, the fire type took down the rest of the cup eagerly, feeling the hot stew washing his insides and reigniting his fires. "Hoooo! That hit the spot!" He was mostly back to his usual self… albeit still shaking and incapable of doing much other than shaking.

"Yeah well, you won't be feeling so hot if you don't lay down and rest for a while… so do just that and warm up. You're in the clear." Zed's reassurance made the Houndour calm down, the Zorua looking extremely confident in his diagnosis.

"Oh thank fuck for that." Serge, who'd been pacing back and forth and holding his left wing this entire time, finally approached the group. He crouched besides Nox, a weary smile on his face. "You're gonna be alright kiddo. Snowstorm won't be slipping into this house anytime soon."

"Heh… thanks… Cool moves dude. Blowing away that… blizzard." Nox pointing that out brought back that little detail to everyone's mind, making Serge bit his tongue and turn to Jake, who merely shook his head.

"Well… that's something I'd been meaning to tell you guys for a long time… just didn't know when to do it." It wasn't entirely true… but he wasn't lying either. But Eric didn't know that, so it didn't come to a surprise to anyone when the Riolu stood up, looking rather angry.

"Tell us what?" The dry delivery of his question let Serge know that he had no wiggle room left in that conversation. So instead of prolonging the situation any further, he simply sighed and started pushing his feathers up and down, trying to make it so the flesh underneath was visible… and there, beneath the multi colored feathers, were black drawings and markings. They didn't need to see the entire thing to tell what was underneath. Eric only had to check the back of his paw and look back at Serge's wing: the emblem of the wind on his paw and the one on his wing were a perfect match. "...Since when have you…"

"Since I was fifteen. I… Don't remember how it happened. I just remember flying around one day a bit too close to the ground, saw something shiny and decided to check it out… next thing I knew I was a Pidgeot and I had those markings."

"You **evolved** because of a fragment and gained its power… and all this time, through all that's happened and the many, and I do mean **many** situations we've come across, not **once** did you think on telling us about it, let alone use those powers?!"

"I've been using them all this time, you know? How else do you think I get to fly and carry your asses so smoothly through the air? When you're so high up the wind currents are insane, and it's dangerous enough flying alone, let along with passengers on your back. Plus, the air's thin, and you'd lose consciousness if I wasn't constantly tinkering with it." The Pidgeot stepped towards the Riolu, towering above him. "Every time we've sailed and gone somewhere by ship? The wind was always blowing in our favour, so you know which mother fucker you have to thank for all that. And let's **not** forget that one time I pulled Elly out of that lab and fought off the pokémon chasing us."

"Still doesn't excuse you withholding all of that information from us! Why?! Why'd you do it? Why didn't you tell us from the get go?"

"Oh, you want me to walk up to you guys and say 'Hey, you know how the bad guys got all their powers? Well a couple years ago, the same thing just happened to me, but I have no memories of it!". Like, come on do you honestly think you would've believed me back then? You wouldn't have believed me if I told you yesterday, now would you?"

"If there's anyone we can blame for that then it's you! You're the one who keeps hiding stuff from us and keeps lying about the simplest things! How are we supposed to deposit our trust in you if at every turn we find out you've been keeping like this from us?!"

"There's no reason to hide these things from us anymore Serge… we're supposed to be a team! We're supposed to work together!" Elly's words rang true with the others, who nodded and looked at the Pidgeot, who wanted to open his beak to say something… but instead they were cut off by the sound of Vincent's laughter, who cackled from the other end of the room. He'd sat on a chair and pulled some blankets over him.

"What's so funny?" Eric's aggressive tone didn't do anything to calm the grass type.

"This! All of this!" He kept clapping. "Absolute. Hilarity. Seriously, this team is the biggest joke I've ever seen: The leaders are oblivious of what is happening with their team mates, most of which are blatant liars or simply too inexperienced to be of any real use! And you are supposed to be the guys that stopped Blake and Team Uncario? He must've been a real pushover then, because if he went down to guys like you th-"

"You better shut the fuck up you damn freeloader! What have you done so far that's proven to be of any help to us?! I didn't see you risking yourself trying to start a fire and fight the cold when we were being attacked!"

"Because I was too far away from the fire and I had to protect myself from the cold! Had I not done that I would've ended up like Nox… or far worse! I do not exactly have anything to protect myself from the cold biologically speaking! But that is beside the point: this is the reason why I prefer to act alone: unreliable partners like yourselves only drag me down, and could get us killed in critical moments… like what happened just now. Had Serge opted to keep his own abilities a secret, we would've most likely died. Let that sink in." Eric wasn't listening to him anymore, feeling only contempt and anger towards the grass type, but the others did find his words to be true.

"I digress however… The fact of the matter is that we were just attacked by a seemingly invisible enemy, and…" He pointed to the window of the hotel that Eric had tried to spy through earlier. "They seem to have left a message for us." The group turned to face the window, barely visible with the dim light of the fireplace, but if one looked hard enough they could make out a sentence written on the windows from the outside, as if someone had spelled every letter out by rubbing the frost off of the window.

" **WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU** "

"Well… that's fucking ominous." Lucy's observation earned a chuckle from Serge.

"You don't say… Seems like whoever "we" is, knows us well enough to try and kill us the first night we're here, which means…"

"That Ferrus might've been right to say there was a fragment here. Don't think we're done talking about this Serge. The moment we have some free time we'll be discussing your approach to try and earn our trust, understood?" The Pidgeot nodded when the stern Riolu threatened him like that. "Alright… for now, we should try and get some rest. We'll take turns overnight to stand guard and make sure that doesn't catch us off-guard again."

"You kidding me? I'm not gonna be able to get any shut eye after that unless we close the chimney and every other hole in this house." The rest of the group felt the same way as the Shinx, but they could also feel their eyelids growing heavy. From that moment onward, they had very little time to rest and recover their energy before… whatever it was that threatened to kill them came back to try and finish the job. They all wrapped themselves up in blankets as best they could and tried to get some sleep, Eric opting to be the one to stay awake to tend the fire.

The minutes passed and nothing happened, the Riolu's only company and solace in the night being the crackling fire in front of him. He watched the flames dance, licking away at the wood they were consuming, tearing it into ashes. He tossed some twigs and another log into the fire, feeding it further as it convulsed and grew, almost happy to have gotten some more sustenance. He then glanced at everyone else, his eyes resting on his mate, sleeping right besides him, reaching for her cheek and caressing her. In her sleep, Elly pushed and purred against his paw, caressing her ear tenderly. He then looked at Zed and Lucy, who were curled up together underneath their blanket, Nox laying on at the other side of the fireplace from where they were.

Jake was a bit further away, sitting on a chair with his arms crossed and covered by a blanket. Serge was further away, his back turned to the group, and Vincent was behind Nox, laying on his side and facing away from the others. The grass type's words echoed in his head, taking a deep breath to calm himself down., then glanced at the others. Sure, they weren't a perfect team, but… him saying that was just pure nonsense. He didn't know what they'd gone through and what had happened, and therefore didn't know jack about the team's cohesion. He sighed, and once again turned to look at the window, reading the now faded threat for the eleventh time, and once again, that visceral gut feeling that something bad was about to happen shook his body, looking beyond the window and at the snowstorm… where for a split second, he could've sworn he spotted a maddened smirk beneath a pair of cold blue eyes.

* * *

Far away from that mountain, and in a completely different region, buried deep beneath crimson sand, a hollowed city awaited in silence. Torches and other sources of light were scattered about, and pokémon stood guard and chatted amicably as yet another day of work began. The excavation was going great, and the amount of relics and technology that they'd recovered exceeded even their wildest expectations. The pokémon that was the most excited for this was a Slowking, who kept eyeing and inspecting every bit of scrap and stone that his fellow archeologists found interesting.

"Hey, Slew!" The psychic type looked up to stare at his most trusted aid down in those ruins: a Sigilyph called Rubert, carrying a bag behind him with his psychic powers, laying it on the table and undying the rope. Metal and rocks slipped out, along with other gadgets that they couldn't recognize. "Look at all of this! The boys just fished up all this stuff from the chasm, I'm telling you we ought to go down there, that's where the good stuff is!" Slew picked up one of the gadgets, a rectangular metal box with glass on it. It was shattered and completely useless, but he analyzed it anyways, hoping that by some miracle it would just magically turn on. Alas, it didn't, and it joined the ever larger pile of gadgets that had been broken through the passage of time.

"And I keep telling you, going down there without being sure the whole place won't fall on our heads isn't a good idea. Give it time, Rubert, this isn't a race to see who will uncover the next miraculous technological advancement."

"Yeah, I know… but man, every time we got into one of those buildings it's like winnin' the lottery! Sure, there's the occasional carcass, but then there's shiny artifacts and even some jewels! And the loot gets specially good wh-"

"What did I say about looting the corpses?"

"Dude… they've been here for like, millions of years, all that's left are a couple tatters and maybe if we're lucky a bone or a skull. Don't worry, we're conserving those as best we can so they can be exposed later at a museum. Must say, those humans were pretty uniquely built… bland, but unique. Besides, can't help it, we all have families to feed here, and considering how bad things are looking, wouldn't hurt to keep one or two earrings locked away at home."

"You think war's gonna break out?" Slew looked up, raising an eyebrow. The Sigilyph shrugged with its wings.

"Dunno man, been hearing stuff in the streets… About those terrorists and what they want out of all of this… It doesn't sound too good. It's only rumors though… and personally I don't give a Ratatta's ass. I just want to be able to afford the food my family needs to survive. War between two regions wouldn't affect people like us right? It'd all be between armies and shit."

Slew gave him a troubled look, but he couldn't say no to his reasoning. "Well, that's none of our business right now… excellent job, keep it up and we will probably get enough funding to get our people. And maybe then we'll be able to organize that expedition to the depths of the crevasse. Deal?"

"Of course it's a deal, you're the boss here man." And with that and a smile, Rubert walked out. "Alright boys, lunch break! You've earned it!" The pokémon all gradually stopped working, checked all the tools were safe and secure with ropes and then walked away from the edge of the large crack that divided that human city. A wooden bridge had been carefully made with ropes, secured to ensure it didn't snap all of a sudden, and on the other side the other expedition group did the same, some opting to approach the lake where one of the time gears had formerly been located. The sand had collapsed around that area, so now the sun came into the strange cave and gave them an idea of what time it was outside. The scaffolding and the ramps that they'd built had transformed that large maw in the middle of the desert into the de facto entry point for the archeologists. Much less treacherous than the route a certain Riolu had taken years ago.

However, one of the pokémon, an Excadrill, in his hastiness, forgot to tie his chisel properly, and as such when he got up and kicked the rope the tool slid across the ground and over the edge, which made him swear loudly and triggered laughter from his companions, and a shout of annoyance from Rubert. "That's the third chisel this week! What is it with you people and not taking care of your tools!" More laughter echoed in the settlement as the discussion went on, the sound of the chisel bumping and falling on ledges and rocks being lost in the infinite dark void of that ridge.

However, for as much as it seemed to have no end, it wasn't bottomless, and when the chisel slammed down into the ground at the bottom it did so at the feet of a cloaked figure, which looked up purely on instinct. Only darkness greeted it, and as such it visibly relaxed immediately.

" _Why don't we just kill them? We can get what we want and be done with this place."_

"And attract the attention of the authorities? We must be discreet now, calm your blood lust. And besides, they are harmless, and you heard what they said: some could prove to be useful assets if we talked to them."

" _Blah blah blah. Less talking, more action."_ The voice went silent after that, which was usually for the better, and the figure proceeded further down into the earth, approaching the ruins of a once tall skyscraper. Rusted billboards and colorless advertisements littered the ground, the ruins of a civilization that was perhaps too absorbed in their own self-gain to realize that their time was running short.

"Just like that other world I suppose… humans are vain by nature. And so are pokémon. Really, we weren't so different, bar a few notable exceptions." They were essentially talking with themselves at this point, as the voice didn't reply. They finally reached their destination as they slipped through the cracks in the walls and went further into the ruins.

" _Ya think this time they'll wake up?"_ The voice finally asked this as they came up to a long glass tube, covered in a thick layer of dust and rubble. There were others beside it, broken and with the rotting corpses of pokémon and humans inside. But this one… the one he wiped clean to reveal that haunting blue glow from within… it was working.

"I have my doubts… but we must ensure they at least survive to ensure our plan is a success… They are the legacy of a race long extinct." The Pursuer closed its eyes and focused. "And we cannot let it go to waste."

* * *

"That's pretty ominous." Leon repeated their own opinions from the night prior as he read the message that had been left on their window. Nothing else had happened and the night had transpired with relative normality until the Beartic went to check on them. Only then did they walk outside and check the door: there were numerous scratch and claw marks on it, and they found some splinters buried underneath the snow. "So, you're saying that there's someone up on that mountain blowing all of this snow and trying to kill us… and that the moment you guys came to this town they somehow recognized you and came downtown to try and finish you off personally?" They nodded in unison, and the Beartic placed his hands on his hips. "You guys keeping something from me?"

"We already told you: we are the legitimate Team Star, so the probability of it being a dangerous pokémon that recognized us and is afraid we'll stop them is very high." Eric soothed the Beartic's worries, trying to make sure there was no relation between them and the snowstorms.

"Right. Well, if that's the case, then that means there's a way to stop all of this… unless it's the gods themselves, in which case I wouldn't understand why you somehow have a chance of stopping them. Are you gonna go up there?"

"Well… they're waiting for us, aren't they? Shouldn't keep 'em. We've got ways to keep ourselves from dying from the cold, so it's a matter of getting up there… and beating the shit outta those bastards!" Nox's impetuous nature came through, intensified ever since he'd almost died from frostbite earlier that night.

"Well… good luck then. Well be evacuating the town either way. It's not that we don't have any faith in you guys… but better safe than sorry, right?"

"I cannot really blame you for thinking like that, my friend. We are not infallible…" The entire Team glared at Vincent when he said that, but he paid no mind to their reaction. "So it is a good idea. We shall cover your retreat as best as possible. Should we succeed in our mission, where shall we find you?"

"Across from the lake. The snowstorm doesn't reach that far, but we may go even further should anything happen." The group nodded, and it seemed that they had nothing else to discuss with Leon. There were more pokémon on the streets that morning, but none of them greeted them or said much. Everyone was focused on grabbing what little they had and stuffing it into convenient bags so they could escape the valley. The sight of those pokémon being forced out of their homes by forces they couldn't fight back against was heartbreaking, and even the children knew that the road ahead would be rough. Even if they did manage to escape, whether or not they'd be properly received in another city like Cunabula was yet to be seen.

"Right… well, we won't fail. Your people won't be going anywhere today Leon." Eric's words didn't do much to convince the Beartic… but he still smiled and nodded.

"Good luck then. I get the feeling you're gonna need it." And with that, the massive ice type walked off to meet up with another Beartic, embracing them and walking off to their own house.

"Well… let's get going people." The team's leader looked at the climb that was waiting for them and started walking, heading for the village's entrance and out of it. As they'd predicted, the path they'd taken the last day was completely buried in snow, though wooden pegs stuck out from underneath, marking the relatively safe route that they could follow to either climb up the peak or leave the village. At that point in time however, they only had one option, and that was to confront whoever it was up on that mountain waiting for them.

"I'm so sick and tired of all this snow and cold… Brr!" Nox was now better equipped than he'd been the previous days, wearing a cloak designed for quadrupeds, a winter cap, a scarf and paw pads that basically insulated his body, retaining the heat he emitted and keeping the cold out. The same could be said for essentially everyone on the team: they were wearing either cloaks or other accessories to protect them from the cold, but unfortunately they hampered their mobility.

Still, as they ascended the mountain, the paths got narrower and narrower, and soon the village itself was just as small as when they'd first seen it from over the other ridges. They also saw pokémon slowly walking out of the village and heading through the valley at a crawling pace, no doubt the villagers trying to make their escape from the mountain. The sun was already at its highest, so from that moment onward the temperature would only lower. Even so, the complaints about the temperature and the cold only increased in frequency as they ascended. "If we really are about to run into a fight, then don't worry: you're going to be heating up really soon. Mind your step." Jake's warning came a bit too late, as the snow gave out beneath Nox and he face planted into it, melting it all and threatening to soak his clothes.

"Arceus damn it." Usually the little incident would've been met with some chuckling or smart comment, but things were tense that morning. Silence was their only companion as they all followed the Riolu leading them, all of them absorbed in their own thoughts and isolated from the rest. It seemed that yesterday's conversation still lingered in their heads, and the words they'd uttered were sinking in at the worst possible time. Elly was clearly affected by all of this, and kept glancing at her best friend constantly, trying to discern something from her concerned gaze.

"Something on your mind?" She slowed down moderately to try and walk besides her, Zed instinctively walking ahead to join Eric. The Shinx didn't answer immediately, instead glancing at the Eevee.

"Eh, nothing important."

"From the look on your face, I'd say otherwise."

"Meh." She was keeping her answers as short and basic as possible, trying to convince the Eevee that she wasn't in the mood for talking. But Elly didn't budge and tried to press her a bit more.

"Come on, Lucy, you can tell me! I promise I won't tell anyone, especially Nox, if that's what concerns you." She tried to smile for her friend, but that gesture quickly faded when Lucy rebounded, clearly annoyed.

"I told you I'm alright and I'm alright, ok?! I've got a lot on my mind right now, but it doesn't have anything to do with the team, you, Zed or whatever, ok? It's just… dumb. It's a dumb worry I have, and it's so stupid I know you'd laugh at me if you knew, so… just leave me alone, alright?" The fact she was repeating herself so often was all the indication Elly needed to back away. There was something on her mind, and it wasn't anything dumb, but Elly didn't want to try her luck and have the Shinx tell her off in a coarser way, so she backed away, slightly wounded.

Meanwhile, Eric and Zed simply walked together, side by side, without uttering a word, much like their respective mates. However, being in the lead, they were the first ones to feel the chilling breeze around them suddenly shift into a strong gust of wind, which evolved into a raging gale as it dragged snow right onto their heads: the storm was coming and it didn't waste time completely enveloping and covering them. They all crouched down and tried to protect themselves from the cold. "It's here! Serge, you know what to do!"

"On it!" The Pidgeot had already been mentally preparing himself for this, and quickly stood up, stretched his wing out and repeated the same motions from the other night, though this time there wasn't any need for him to shout. Instead, the snowstorm halted, the wind dying right at that instant, which allowed them to look around and check on the effects of Serge's ability. For one, the storm hadn't subsided, in fact, it was still raging around them, but the entire area around them was completely clear of snow.

"What in the world… Is this what you did yesterday?" Elly's inquiry was met with a nod. It wasn't a perfect sphere, but there were ten meters of clear air and sky around and above them. Snowflakes slipped into the circle every so often, falling down at a crawling pace. So slow in fact, that one could easily assume they weren't moving at all, suspended in the air indefinitely.

"Yeah. Ever since that accident I've been able to tell the wind what I want it to do. It's… weird, and hard to explain. I'm just thinking with all my strength and focusing on the idea that the wind can't blow in the area around us, and… it's working, almost as if it was part of me. I can feel the pressure of the snowstorm outside of the circle too. It's like flying through the air: the gusts are almost as strong, if not stronger than then, so I'll be able to keep this up for a long time, I've gotten used to it."

"I guess the closest thing I have to that would be my psychic powers… I can understand the whole feeling aspect of it. It's not a part of your body and yet it's there, that invisible pressure on your head… it's that why you get migraines sometimes?"

"Yeah, but… that only happens when I'm actively messing with the wind a lot, like to make a certain space have a really strong gust of wind for just a moment to make myself faster and attack… that's what usually gives me a headache. I guess stopping the wind is a bit easier on the head than commanding it and make it do your bidding, especially when it's crazy shit that it doesn't normally do."

"Maybe keep the chit chat about your powers for later Serge… For now, focus on keeping this snowstorm away from us. Can you increase the range further?" Eric felt that they had others worries, and the group immediately dropped the conversation.

"Yeah, but at that point it's going to strain me, and even then if I want to keep this up I need to focus, so forget about me participating in a fight. It's a radial thing: it only takes effect around me, I can't make it so it stays on you guys while I go off do my thing."

"Well… I guess you'll have to stay grounded with us then. Alas you shall be fine, I will be right by you to ensure this protection is constant." Vincent got closer to Serge, same with Nox, the two promising to guard the Pidgeot under these new conditions. Once it was all set, they continued to hike up the mountain. Their visibility was rather reduced, as they only have ten meters of visibility before everything became fuzzy and white. Even so, it wasn't completely opaque, so they could make out whenever they were heading for a cliff or a rock. The snow piles became much larger and exhausting to trudge through however, and so their progress slowed down.

Thankfully, they could still look up at the sky and easily tell the time, and though they didn't know it yet, they were extremely close to the peak. It wasn't until they saw the snow curving downwards all around them except their front that they assumed they'd reached the peak. The snowstorm subsided slightly, which confirmed their theories: Howling Spire, that twisted hook-like peak was right in front of them, and at the base of it was a black hole, which they assumed was the entrance to the shrine Leon had mentioned to them.

"Right… we're almost there, people, get ready." They all kept their eyes peeled as they took a few slow steps forward… until Serge gave a cry of alarm.

"I just felt something weird brush up against us. The blizzard is shifting out there, it's doing weird stuff… it's not a normal snowstorm." They all followed his gaze and focused on that spot… and this time, clear as day, they saw it: a mass of what seemed to be white smoke was shifting and staring right at them, that same pair of cold blue eyes that Eric had seen the night prior greeting them back. There were no other distinct features besides those two frozen sapphires, languidly hovering in the air, shifting and trying to burst through Serge's protection. However, it wasn't long before it caught on to what was happening and shot the Pidgeot a piercing look, which made a chill go down his spine.

The mass shifted and bunched up as it pushed against the invisible barrier, trying to get in and is twisted constantly. "What's it doing?!" Eric's question was answered soon enough, as a large icicle suddenly burst through the barrier, aimed directly at Serge's head, threatening to pierce it cleanly. Fortunately however, Vincent and Nox were ready for it: the Houndour shot a fireball at the shape, forcing it to retreat whilst Vincent stepped in between Serge and the ice and flicked his wrist. From his right palm, a blade of what seemed to be brown dried up leaves and green vine like materials that held it together burst out, and holding it like a rapier he took a swing at the icicle, hitting it away and effectively defending the Pidgeot.

He even struck a pose, looking rather proud to finally show his weapons… but everything was replaced by a look of panic as a gurgle of pain echoed from behind them. Elly, being the closest, immediately turned around. She saw many things happen simultaneously: she saw blood flying across the air and landing on her cheek, another cloud of white mist, similar to the other one quickly fading away into the blizzard… and Lucy fallen on her side with a blood coated icicle stuck on the ground besides her. Her eyes told it all: she didn't know what'd just happened, she couldn't understand what was happening. She just knew that everything hurt, her neck was cold, very cold, and she tried to scream, but couldn't, only the sound of the blood gurgling from her throat coming out

Instead, she only heard her friends cry out her name as her whole world faded to black. Her last thought before she fell unconscious was the letter she'd received a few days prior… and the last words she'd told her best friend.

 _Just leave me alone, alright?_


	7. Chapter 4 - Red Snow

**And here we are again! So, sorry for having left the last chapter on a cliffhanger, I promise I will not do it again, and I apologize for having taken so long to write this one. Life got in the way, as always, but now I have a bit more time to work on this stuff weekly, so it should be good! I still want to keep at least a chapter every 2 weeks, and at worst 3 weeks. Sorry I missed the deadline again guys, but I think this chapter will more than make up for it!**

 **Before we start however, I'd want to repeat myself: the opinions/ideals expressed by the characters aren't correspondent with my own, so don't post an angry review saying that I hate a certain ethnic or religious group, cuz I don't. Also, if you have something to say or ask, no matter how small it is, review! I love answering your guys' comment and questions, and I'd like to have a better interaction with my readers. So go ahead, don't be shy!**

 **And speaking of answering reviews, let's do just that!**

 ***looks at the two reviews I had***

On second thoughts, I think you guys have waited long enough! Have at ye!

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4**_

 _ **Red Snow**_

 _ **Recover from the attack and destroy the cold from ages past.**_

" **LUUUUUUUCYYYYY!** " Zed's screams of despair quickly overshadowed those of his teammates, who rushed to the Shinx's limp body to check the wound. He wanted to check the wound, praying to whatever god that looked for them high up that it wouldn't be fatal… but the blood… there was too much for even him to handle, a constant stream of crimson from the open hole in her throat. He tried to stop, tears on the verge of his eyes as the others stared at her in a mixture of shock and disbelief. This had to be a joke, or a prank of some sort. Eric half expected it to be a dream, a nightmare that he'd suddenly snap out from, some kind of vision he could later on defeat… but he hadn't experienced those ever since the end of the time freeze, and so he knew, he knew that it wasn't a dream and that this was happening in real life.

Elly and Zed kept calling for the electric type, but her eyes had long closed, and she was getting colder and colder by the second, the blood still erupting from her throat… until Vincent pushed past them and crouched on top of her, shouting something. They were all still dazed, unsure of what was happening and unable to react, and so words well on deaf ears, Serge's concentration waning for just a bit as a chill of icy wind blew through them. Slowly however, that despair was replaced by a blind rage, and everything came back as his words became obvious to them.

"Snap out of it and concentrate on the opponent! Keep her safe and I shall do whatever I can!" He didn't need to tell them twice to concentrate on the threat around them, but Zed refused to leave her side, something that Vincent didn't find to his liking but completely understood. "If you won't leave then… hold her wound, make sure to stop the bleeding… the less blood I have to deal with the higher the chances of her survival." The Roselia touched the snow beneath her, now crimson red, and tried to absorb the blood… but it was already too diluted. There was no way he'd get it from there. "Fine then… remember, do not lift your paws." Zed nodded again, crying tears of grief as he held what he believed to be the neck of her dead mate. Her heart was beating quickly, and her blood and body were still warm… but they wouldn't be for much longer. Still, Vincent continued to touch and check all over her body: her chest, her head, her limbs and her neck… and suddenly smiled.

"Lucky devil… she's still got time. Very well, I need you to keep a close eye on our surroundings on top of holding her neck Zed. If you don't do either we will die or she will die. Understood? What you are about to see now…" The Roselia closed his eyes and held his hands on the spots of her wounds that Zed didn't completely cover. "Is my gift."

While this happened, the group turned to face outwards and around the area. "Serge, do you see something?!" Nox's inquiry was met with a negative from the Pidgeot, whose usually laid back demeanor had now shifted to one of pure contempt and rage, scanning their surroundings for any signs of their foes as his wings glowed. He didn't care about headaches or migraines… the moment they stepped into that circle he'd cut them in half and spread their insides across the snow, just like they'd done with poor Lucy.

"Damn it! You mother fuckers! **Stop hiding and show yourselves!** " Eric shouted. As if on cue, the white mists reappeared, shifting around and taking aim at the already wounded Lucy, taking a potshot at the two pokémon tending to her, and the other five. This time, they were prepared however, and Eric broke and smashed one of the icicles into bits whilst Elly blocked the other with her barrier. "So there's two of them… damn it, all this time we thought there was just one. The noises, the markings, the attack earlier… it was all the work of one of them. They kept the existence of the other a secret!" Once again, the shapes disappeared into the blizzard, only to reappear behind them and try to get a sneak attack on them. Nox was faster than they were, and launched a fireball through the barrier and into one of the creatures as it created another icicle. A bellow of pain echoed across the mountains, the chilling wind carrying the scream down to the valley, where the pokémon making their escape from that land's curse turned their heads to face the mountains, fearing the worst.

The snowstorm cleared for just a bit, and a hint of nine clear white tails was briefly spotted by Jake. He didn't waste any time relaying this information to the others, of course. " _The enemy is a Ninetales! Their fur is white as snow!_ "

" _They can't be the only one though, given they attacked Lucy from different angles!_ " Elly kept her eye out on the snowstorm as she said this. The once shapeless forms were now somewhat recognizable with that information. That cluster of white was none other than the large bushy tails of the pokémon dashing around them, attacking relentlessly and shooting icicles at the group. By now, they'd noticed that Vincent was doing something… that none could clearly see, a secret he was keeping to himself, but their attackers were having none of it. Taking aim once more, they attempted to snipe the pokémon trying to keep Lucy alive… only for their efforts to be destroyed by a furious looking Riolu, who swung his light staff and destroyed both the icicles, then took aim with an aura sphere coated in flames, Nox standing besides him as they both fired simultaneously, the fire colliding with the snowstorm and clearing a bit more. This time, the Ninetales were fully visible, sneering at the duo before they hid back in that white mist.

"So that's the enemy then! Alright team, group up! We have to draw them in somehow!" They clustered around the wounded Lucy, trying to check on her, but the grass type seemed to be in deep focus, a hand on her neck and another on his own, probably checking her pulse, both of them coated in her blood. Every time they looked at her lifeless eyes they shook in anger.

" _Bastards… alright, here's a plan. Whenever they take aim again, I move towards them, they'll be out of the blizzard and in the circle and you guys beat the shit out of them, got it?!_ "

" _Nice idea, but what if t-_ " They noticed the shapes stopped again, a gentle whisper carried by the blizzard as they stopped on either side of the circle, before their shapes simply vanished, no longer visible. As if on cue, the blizzard subsided and slowly disappeared. The skies were cleared completely, the sun slowly beginning it's slow descent towards the far west, over a sight they couldn't initially believe: the Great Glaciers.

A massive mass of ice laid where eons past a great ocean had been, completely frozen over into a solid block of ice that lead to a pitch black darkness underneath, almost like an endless void. From the glacier itself spikes and different undulating shapes could be seen, almost as if that sea had been frozen in a single instant, the water forever still in its last moments of freedom from the unrelenting cold. Whatever had happened there ages ago, that was the aftermath, and it was almost breathtaking, as the almost transparent glacier reached farther than the eye could see.

This was however, all the time they had to admire the beauty of the landscape before them, as the threat of the two Ninetales loomed over them, distressing Nox. "Where'd they go? I can't see anything or anyone!" Elly was the one who made the callout this time however, as a mound of snow at their feet shifted, and from it a Ninetales with all nine of its tales coated in ice lunged out, shooting its appendages right at them. Serge took off to escape from their range, taking Jake with him, whilst Nox ducked under two that aimed to attack him, Elly blocked four and Eric hit the remaining three back. Tee ice shattered on the tails that were hit or blocked, raining down on the pokémon before them as a deadly storm of shards that cut the Riolu's flesh through his fur, the remaining two swinging back and hitting his legs to throw him off balance before the second aimed to skewer him alive, but he quickly reacted, slammed his staff on the snow and spun on it, jumping off the top and slamming down on the tail, eliciting a groan of pain from their attacker which Nox followed up on with a fiery tackle, brandishing burning claws that singed and cut his flesh, then Elly finished with a massive black fist that launched the Ninetales backwards, ripping the fur and probably some of its tail clean off.

The following screeches of pain were enough for the second Ninetales to pop up from the snow, but he was right behind the three pokémon, icicles and what seemed to be razor sharp snowflakes hovering near him. The projectiles shot forward upon the backs of the unprotected pokémon, cutting Eric's back as the impacts threw him forward, though thankfully the icicles missed thanks to a quick intervention by Serge. Elly's ear was nicked by one the stars and she quickly spun around and hit the attacker away, whilst Nox was hit on his right flank, of all places, eliciting a yelp of pain. "Fuck! Ow ow ow!"

"Focus, Nox!" Jake's cry of alarm came to him just in time to open his eyes and see the wounded Ninetales pouncing him, quickly building up heat and blasting it all around him, an explosion of heat throwing the ice type off of the Houndour and near its twin. The two glared at the Pidgeot, who was flying up in the air with the Sneasel on his back, three icicles aimed straight at their heads. They both dispersed as the flying type gave chase, the wounded one heading for Eric, whose back was still turned, small streaks of crimson red visible, while the other started running circles around the group. As it ran, snow floated up to his neck and became snowflakes and icicles, which he immediately fired at the group. The shape of the projectiles made it hard for Serge's constant control of the wind to do much, and Elly managed to block of a few attacks with her psychic barriers before one of them rebound from a nearby tree and cut her right front leg, making her yelp and fall on her front.

The ice type aimed and fired one last icicle aimed right between her eyes, intending of finishing her off right then and there… but Serge, with a vaillant shout swooped in, sliding across the snow as he became a whirlwind of silver feathers, Jake jumping off him and lunging straight at their opponent as it backflipped and jumped away, avoiding most of Serge's crazed swings that whistled through the air. Finally, Jake landed on Serge's wing and then swung forward, launching Jake at their opponent, flying past him and slashing his face as it landed at took aim. The chunk of ice hit Jake's leg and threw him off course, but it continued and Serge sliced it in half before harming him. Still, the attack was a relative success, as Jake's claws ripped its left ear clean off, deafening the color variant, who roared in anger. "Damn you!"

Jake tried to stand up, but his right leg buckled, pain blinding him for a brief instant. He'd either broken or twisted his ankle… but was still capable of running and fighting. The other Ninetales aimed to finish off their leader, but he found that he wasn't that foolish to leave himself wide open. Once he was close enough, the Riolu spun around and threw an aura charged punch straight at his face, having been hiding this fact whilst crouched in the snow. His opponent's tails quickly shot forward and created a shield that blocked the attack, once again shards of ice raining down and cutting his face, closing his eyes just in time to prevent any damage as it stabbed him like shards of glass. Blinded momentarily, the ice type moved in again to strike… but in the moment he'd forgotten to glance sideways to see Nox lunge at him, enveloped in a blaze of fire and tackle him, the fire singing and burning his fur before the Houndour jumped off, free of the flames and throwing him away, rolling on the snow and extinguishing the fire.

His fellow ambusher saw this and hid under the snow again, quickly tunneling to his aid, the dup standing side by side. "Brother! Compose yourself, the fight has only just begun!" The other ninetales looked at his kin and nodded, and even if it had lost a tail and the other an ear, they seemed more than ready to keep on fighting.

"So you can talk! Alright, then how about you start answering some of our questions?!" Serge aimed his wing at the duo, his feathers still giving off that silver sheen. "Do so and we'll lock you up with just a few more cuts and bruises!"

"Bah… Fools, you honestly think you intimidate us?! We already took care of one of your companions…" He forced them to glance at the Shinx, who laid still on the snow… Zed was crying over her while Vincent seemed to be muttering or praying, his eyes closed. This image made Elly fear the worst and turned to face the ice types, enraged.

"Who… who was it? Which of you shot the icicle that killed her?!" The Eevee's voice trembled, whilst she shook in place, anger taking hold of every strand of fur on her body. Neither Ninetales responded verbally, but the one on the right, the one with the missing ear suddenly smiled. That was the last straw for the Eevee, who screamed and unleashed a psychic barrage at the two, sweeping the snow on the way and creating a small avalanche that would've swept the two pokémon off the cliff… hadn't a large wall of ice been erected between the two groups. Confusion spread through Team Star as the Ninetales ran to the side and towards the peak… and there they saw him. Walking out of the cave at a calm pace, and glancing down at the pokémon was a massive Abomasnow, his hand stretched and reaching towards the ice wall, which collapsed at his command, clenching his fist. Jake observed, as he did this, that it burst into shards and chunks violently, and some even almost reached the group.

The Ninetales positioned themselves besides the Abomasnow, and proceeded to check and tend to their wounds. "Your ear… They shall pay for this."

"But brother, your tail is…"

"Both of you, remain calm. They are but superficial wounds." The Abomasnow silenced the two Ninetales like so, establishing his superiority over the duo. He then turned his attention to the group of five pokémon glaring at him, and then and the three right beside them, in particular at the inert Shinx. "...We should not underestimate our opponent, for they are Team Star. They have a penchant of finding their way out of dangerous situations like these."

"Yeah? Well, what are we, celebrities?! You seem awfully concerned about who we are, almost if you knew we were coming!"

"We did spot you enter the mountain range yesterday, and ever since Daij and Kaui have been tracking you closely… furthermore, our attempts at assassinating you were fruitless due to an unexpected anomaly…" The Abomasnow closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of their nose, mimicking as if he were deep in thought before he smiled and pointed at Serge. "That was your doing, wasn't it? Sly move, hiding those abilities from your companions and the rest of the world… that, in the end, is what saved you all."

"Yeah well, I'm not about to take compliments from a criminal… Though I am awesome and that was totally my plan from the very beginning." Everyone turned to give Serge a deadpan to downright annoyed or angry expression, giving the Pidgeot the idea that this wasn't the moment to be cracking jokes.

"No matter what it was, the fact still remains: you came of your own volition, and fell right into our trap… fully knowledgeable that this was, in fact, a set up. You truly are idiotic."

"Wrong." Jake would not let the Abomasnow get away with his own twisted way of both insulting them and praising his own plans. "We came for one reason only: to save and free the people of Akil from your subordinates' attacks. Already, several pokémon have succumbed to the bitter cold… and we shall avenge those deaths, here and now!" The Abomasnow laughed while Jake's words motivated the group further, looking at their opponent.

"Bold, confident words, coming from one who understands little… do you know why we are here to begin with? What our goal is? Why we were planning on driving them out of here, or why no one has come to their aid in the first place? Do you know the first thing about what is happening right behind your backs as we speak?!" Nox had to glance behind them just to make sure there wasn't a third Ninetales, but there wasn't anything like that, thankfully.

"Most of that is irrelevant at this point… fact of the matter is, there's pokémon in need of help, and we're here to help them! Beating you up for what you've done and recovering the fragment… That's all just an added bonus." Eric held out his paw, his light staff growing outward, before he spun it and aimed it at their enemies, essentially challenging them to a battle.

However, the Abomasnow wasn't easily intimidated, albeit that smile vanished from their face. "So… you do know of what lays in these ruins… then perhaps you already know far too much." He shook his head, and smiled again. "No, you got something wrong earlier, therefore you just don't know what you're dealing with."

"And what would that be then?"

"You said that Daij and Kaui were the sources of the Blizzard, but… you see…" The Abomasnow's arm glowed in its entirety, a glow that… for lack of a better example, resembled that of Eric's arm and Serge's left wing.

( **Incoming! - Xenoblade Chronicles 2** )

He too, had an emblem.

"You were quite wrong with that assumption!" He threw his arm forward, and the snow around them fluttered up and twisted uncontrollably, the chunks of snow shattering and transforming into that dreaded white mist that once again obfuscated their vision… but didn't impede their hearing this time, the figures of the Ninetales and the Abomasnow visible still. "My name is Taikok, the guardian of this fragment… and the one that shall bury you and your spirits in this icy tomb!" Serge quickly got his barrier up again before the bitter cold could reach them or the other three, with Zed being the only one paying attention to their surroundings.

Taikok wasted no time rushing into the circle, fists coated in ice and slammed then down, snow flying up around him and freezing in the air, a dangerous barrage of ice shards raining down on the team. Nox blasted a cluster of them with fire and helped Serge and Jake survive, whilst Elly used her black craft to create a surface under which she and her mate hid. The Abomasnow rose up and faced the leaders of the team, deciding they were the biggest threat… plus they were the only ones separating him from the wounded pokémon. "Daij! Kaui! Deal with the others!" The Ninetales seemed to respond to his request form the blizzard, as Daij, the Ninetales with the missing tail, rushed in, coating the aforementioned limbs in ice and attempting to skewer the group once more. At the same time, Kaui attacked from the blizzard, shards of ice aiming directly for Serge, trying to break his concentration.

The Pidgeot immediately took off to the air, only to find that the Ninetales followed him wherever he went. Jake lunged for Daij, his claws clashing with his tails as he rolled and dodged out of the way of the shards that then shot out whenever he destroyed one of the limbs, finding himself right in his face and attempting to attack once more, their claws clashing and struggling, but the Ninetales won the struggle as one of his tails coiled around Jake's foot and threw him towards the blizzard, attempting to leave him for dead outside. Thankfully, the Sneasel reacted quickly enough and slashed the tail holding him, forcing the fox to free him and land just behind Taikok, who sensed his presence and attempted to squash him with his fist. He was stopped by Eric, who rushed in between the two and blocked the icy fist, struggling against the massive pokémon before pushing him back, Elly coming from behind to hit him with a fist just as big as his own.

However, the ice type quickly turned and met it with his own, shattering the Eevee's black construct and making her howl in pain, the black substance flying everywhere, and even into the snow. She wasn't incapacitated however, as she used a psychic barrier to protect herself from a follow up sweep of his foot, giving her just enough time to jump away, leaving a trail of blood from her wounded leg. Eric jumped up and swung his staff, meeting the Abomasnow's ice coated fist once more, but using it as leverage and jumping up off of it, swinging again and striking his face, landing on his shoulder and dropping below as he attempted to smack him off, kicking off his back in an attempt to flee… only to be hit by his fist, using his staff to block most of the damage, feeling the construct tremble in his paws as he was hurled backward brutally, almost falling outside the circle, saving himself by the hairs of his fur as he used his staff to slow himself down, digging into the snow.

" _Damn it… he's strong! We need to switch it up!"_ He looked at Nox, and ordered him to go after Taikok. " _I'll care of the others! Serge, make sure that the circle doesn't shrink!"_

" _And leave you to fight these guys? Not a chance!"_ The flying type swooped down as he said this and took a slash at the bloody tailed Ninetales, missing but keeping up the pressure as Eric rolled into the action, stabbing forward with his staff and jabbing at the ice type. He hit the jugular and made him choke, quickly turning around and smashing the staff into his face with a reverse hit, stopping the spin as he faced behind him and twisted his weapon, smacking projectiles out of the air as the two brothers kept him on his toes. Serge landed right on top of Kaui, tackling him and flying away afterwards, stopping the constant rain of projectiles on the Riolu, who was still smacked away by three icy tails. He couldn't handle the two brothers all on his own, and Zed, who was still crouched by Lucy, noticed this.

He looked incredibly distressed, fresh tears in his eyes, his fur matted in ice from all he'd been crying so far, whilst Vincent was still focused on whatever he was doing, muttering words and phrases of encouragement to himself. "Go." He suddenly said, having noticed the Zorua's constant glancing behind him. "We'll be joining the battle soon, so get over there! The last thing I need is to have to take care of more of you!" His forceful, sardonic tone of voice was back, but the dark type could tell he was actually telling him to go help the others, and he did just that, transforming into a Pidgey and flying off to aid Eric. He flew just above Taikok as he brought down his fist on Elly's psychic barriers, making her slide away while Jake slid underneath him, standing up and grabbing on to his back, digging his claws into his flesh and stabbing repeatedly. The Abomasnow bent down in pain and received a fireball to the face, snapping him out of his stupor and reaching behind to grab Jake, crushing him in his grip.

He felt his body give in, his brittle bones at the fringe of snapping and breaking into splinters, but Elly reacted quickly and summoned psychic swords, slicing the Abomasnow's ankles, giving the smaller ice type the brief window of time he needed to escape, slipping through his grasp and down into the ground in almost agonizing pain, breathing in desperately. The massive ice type reached down to the snow and lifted a chunk of it, icicles spearing out of the ground in a trail headed towards Elly, forcing her to move as the spikes attempted to follow her, barely missing her, though this gave Nox enough time to grab Jake and get him out of harm's way, which in turn allowed Taikok to coat his legs in ice, effectively closing the wounds and numbing the pain as he rushed at the Eevee, throwing more snow and raising another wall of spikes, closing her off from everyone else.

Zed however, had other goals, transforming into a Graveler mid flight and crashing down right next to Eric, blocking some more projectiles from Kaui and allowing him to focus on breaking down each of Daij's tails before moving in closer, vaulting and jumping through the tails until he was right on top of the Ninetales, stretching his legs and jumping right at him, bringing both of his feet down and then launching him sky high with his staff, then hurling the weapon at him. They both collided in midair and the staff exploded, throwing him away into the Blizzard, probably knocked out for the time being.

"Brother!" Kaui's cries were silenced as Zed tackled him, throwing him off balance and leaving him defenseless for Serge, who swooped down and slashed his belly, a streak of crimson appearing on his underbelly. He landed on his legs, quickly covering that part of him in ice to keep himself from bleeding out… but it was only a temporary solution, howling and creating more projectiles than before, catching Eric and Serge off guard as the shards cut into their skin, piercing in and either melting inside or cutting through their skin, giving them superficial cuts on their arms and wings.

Serge was forced to come down to the ground, lest his wings be wounded and rendered useless, but Zed, still a Graveler, rushed in and tackled the ice type, his rock skin protecting him from any severe damage and instead leaving bruises whenever he transformed back to a pokémon with normal skin. His elbow buried itself into the Ninetales' muzzle and broke some teeth, who hit him back with a blast of shards that broke his transformation back into a Zorua, cutting him further, but giving Eric just the window of opportunity to aim and fire a quick aura sphere from his right arm, using up the charge there, then quickly creating more as he kept him on the move, till finally one of the spheres hit him head on and threw him away, just at the edge of the circle protecting them from the still raging blizzard.

They'd won that battle, but a scream of pain snapped them back to reality, as Elly, who was still blocked off from the rest and being forced to back off against the blizzard, had an icicle pierce her already wounded leg, drawing blood and tears from the Eevee as she desperately tried to pull it out, stuck to the ground. SHe couldn't move, immobilized by the ice as Taikok loomed above her, bringing his fists up and slamming them down. Elly's black construct came back to her just in time and managed to block just one blow before it gave out and burst into pieces, splattering all over the ice walls around her.

"You have lost!" Those fists of ice rose once again, and Serge took off, Eric jumping on his back as Jake attempted to climb the wall with his claws, which simply scratched the surface, and Nox kept attempting to melt it, proving to be incredibly hard, as it spread on the snow from how impossibly cold it was… and as his fists fell down on Elly's head… a bolt of electricity soared through the air, faster than anyone, not even the expertly trained Abomasnow could react to, howling in pain as the electricity coursed through the water coated barriers and electrified him further, howling in pain as the bolts coursed all over him and through him, before finally slumping over, saving the Eevee's life and halting the blizzard around them

( **Stop the music** )

They all slowly turned to face the source, and there they saw Vincent, whose left arm had withered, looking like a dead twig. For a second, they were all confused as to what had happened, but the real surprise came right after… as Lucy shot yet another bolt at the ice wall, shattering it further, giving Nox a better target to aim at, relentlessly blasting it with fireballs until it went down, Vincent rushing in and running to the Eevee, pulling the icicle out of her paw. "Now… what did I say… about wounding yourselves further?" He placed his only healthy hand on the whole and gripped it. A burning sensation spread through her body as she screamed just as loudly as when she'd been hurt, and Vincent had to hold back groans of pain as well. "You're lucky you didn't bleed too much, I only have to regenerate the flesh and the fur…" His right leg withered slowly, though shortly after, he lifted his hand from the Eevee's leg… and she was perfectly fine.

"Wh-what?" She stared at her once wounded leg in awe, then at Vincent, who seemed to be having trouble standing on his right leg, as if he was crippled. Serge and Eric swooped in, the Pidgeot grabbing the Eevee with his claws and Eric reaching for Vincent's hand, who simply held it out with a weak smile and was pulled off the ground with them, taking them away from the still dizzied Abomasnow. Once they were out, they all regrouped around the barely conscious Shinx, whose mate had rushed over the moment she'd thrown that first bolt, screaming her name and crying as he nuzzled her. The others were in a mix of bewilderment, happiness and tears: She was completely fine, albeit a bit pale, the hole in her neck was gone, and could breathe just fine.

"Lucy! Lucy! How… are you alright?! You're alive you… I was so…" She tried to shut him up with a paw, but instead Zed took it into his own and held it close to his chest, crying onto it, too. Lucy walked over to her friend crouched down, crying just as much as Zed was.

"You stupid… You had us worried sick there, it looked like you had died! How did you trick us so easily?!" Elly still didn't believe it… it was borderline a miracle that she was alive and fine like that… and that miracle thankfully, had a name and voice to speak with.

"Well… that may be because she did in fact almost die…" Everyone turned to face Vincent, who was sitting on the snow, holding his withered arm. "But you're lucky that I was with you this time, and that I got to her as soon as I did. Had she lost more blood, she might not have survived. The fact that she's awake baffles even me, but I'm sure that is thanks to the absurd amounts of adrenaline that pumped through her veins when she was stabbed…"

"Nah… that's just because I'm a pain in the ass."

"Pain in the ass and my arm… seriously, you're fucking lucky as it is, instead of throwing bolts all over the place you should try and get some rest… then again, these aren't the best conditions to rest in."

Serge was the first to react to this chain of events, cutting the grass type off as he was about to tell them to fall back now that the opportunity had presented itself. "Hold on, back up, back up: what the fuck did you do again? You **healed** her?" The Roselia rose his withered arm in response to his question. It was incredibly thin and brown, looked incredibly brittle and weak, almost as if it were about to fall apart into tiny dead leaves at any second… but it was still attached to the rest of his body, which looked healthy in contrast, even if the leaves on his shoulders were of the same colour.

"It's called equivalent exchange: one part for another. The wound was in her neck, so I took the wound and healed it. Instead however, I have to give up something, my life energy, and since the wound was on her neck, it took the energy from my neck and the surrounding areas to make up for both damage and the blood loss… So I just transferred that damage to my arm the moment it was made."

"So that's why you were holding your neck!" Zed now understood why he'd taken that curious position, and the grass type nodded.

"So you can mend any damage sustained by transmitting your life energy to the wounded individual and sustaining the same wounds they have, which you then heal and spread across your body equally… But that's impossible, never in recent history has such an ability existed among grass types."

"Well… that's because they probably…" His breathing was ragged and he coughed up purple and green blood, splattering on the snow in front of them, very weak. "That's because they didn't have this, I feel." He showed them the back of his right hand… and Eric's eyes shot wide open as they saw those same outlines, surrounding a different symbol from both his paw and Serge's, giving off a weak dark green hue, almost invisible with his skin.

"Another one?! That's five us here up on this mountain!" Eric's exclamation didn't go unnoticed by Taikok, who slowly got up, smoke coming off of his body.

"Elementals… beget other elementals…" The sound of his voice made them all turn around to face him. He was heavily wounded, some of his hair having been completely burnt off, and what seemed to be a clot of blood coming from his side, no doubt from an older wound that had been reopened and fried thanks to Lucy's bolts. "The power that you have is not unlike my own… and not unlike our leader's. That power seeks to be complete… seeks its brothers and sisters to become whole once more. Call it fate, call it gravity, call it whatever you want, but…" He pointed straight at the four branded pokémon. "No matter where you go, and what you do, you are bound to encounter those with the same powers… and they will try and kill you, just like we've tried to."

"Do you mean to tell us that there are more with these emblems spread across this world?" Jake's question was met with a smile from the Abomasnow.

"Yes… but we know who they are… and they all know who you are too… and trust me, they will stop at nothing until you draw your last breath!" His eyes were bloodshot with anger, primordial rage and anguish coursing through his veins. "And I am just one of them… I have the power of a **god** , and yet… you've managed to show resistance…" He chuckled. "But that is about change." The last part of his speech served as an indication for Daij to burst out from underneath the snow and slam his tails straight into Vincent, drawing more blood from his mouth as he was launched away quickly and into a tree, snow falling on him and burying him slightly. The Ninetales dashed to the incapacitated grass type, as the sneak attack had been far too quick for the rest of the team properly, but even when they took off after him, the blizzard once again started blowing, this time even stronger than before, forcing Serge to stand still and focus on protecting not only them, but also Vincent, who was more than ten meters away, as a wall of ice burst out between them and their temporary companion, courtesy of Kaui and Taikok.

"You were so close to defeating me… if only you hadn't distracted yourselves with your companion, you could've finished me off. But that was sadly not the case… Shards of ice rose up from the snow, hovering around Taikok and shining with intensity as the blizzard roared around them. The group found themselves forced against the wall of ice as Eric, Elly and Zed focused on defending the others, whilst Serge protected them from the blizzard and Lucy got on his back, attempting to gather enough electricity to shoot one more bolt before consciousness slipped away from her. Nox launched a fireball at Kaui, who was hurling a barrage of icy projectiles straight at them, but the fire died the moment it left the circle, which meant the temperature outside in the blizzard was enough to flash freeze them, making the Houndour shiver. "This shall be the end!" The shards on his back glowing with even more intensity, and Jake kept an eye on the ways some of them were angled upward and looking at eachother… whilst one of them, the leftmost shard, was looking straight at them, specifically at Eric.

Then it hit him.

"Get down!" He tackled the Riolu just in time for the beam of sunlight to soar just above their heads, burning right through the ice wall behind them. They all looked at the hole and then at the Abomasnow, who began gathering more sunlight again. "Those shards are refracting sunlight between them, building up intensity… and then firing it our way!"

"Exactly. I made these crystals with a certain fractal structure in mind… a structure that optimally refracts the light from the sun and allows me to send it your way…" The crystals shuffled and they all turned to gather light together, giving them no chance to tell which of them would fire. Eric got up again and kept hitting projectiles out of the air as Jake tried to come up with an idea to get out of that situation.

" _Nox, if you can hit one of the shards, then the energy he's building up could misfire and hit him from behind! That could give us an opening to strike!"_

"I can't hit him ice! It's too cold out there and my fire can't stay burning! Serge get him in the circle!"

"And let Vincent die?! Like hell I am!" Once again, disagreement and confusion settled in the group… While all of this was happening, the Roselia behind them managed to get out from underneath the snow, wounded and hurt. He tried to reach for the tree, seemingly to seek shelter… but Daif was having none of that, one of his tails piercing his leg and keeping him in place, facing up at the clear sky as the Ninetales got over him.

"Well… you gave us quite a scare earlier, mister Vincent… you managed to heal their friend, and that was something that none of us could've seen coming. Still…" He twisted the tail in his wound, making him groan in agony. "Such a shame that such an ability will go to waste on you. Then again… we already have our sights set on someone else with nearly the same abilities… so nothing's lost there!" Vincent's eyes widened in anger as he tried to fight against his hold, his hands buried in the snow right above his head. Daij let out a coarse laugh, filled with contempt and hatred. "It hurts, doesn't it? Feeling that you're worthless, that there's someone out there that can do all you can and better. Feeling that no matter what you do, someone else will beat you at it, and the rest will forget you even existed… well, that's what happened to Kaui and me… thrown into the streets by those bastards…" He chuckled. "And now look at us! We're the top dogs now!"

Vincent listened to his speech in silence, but that last comment made him chuckle. "Top dog, eh? Heh… to me, it feels like you've just fallen even further… from the trash of society to terrorists…" The tail in his wound twisted again, but he held back from expressing his pain, if anything to spite the Ninetales above him. "And besides… to me it just sounds like you were just spoiled… you had more than enough chances to show your worth and prove you were not the best… but someone worth their time. But you didn't… You grew complacent and ended up getting what you deserved… you don't know what it's like… what **hunger** feels like."

Daij pressed down on his chest in anger. "You are the one that doesn't know anything… you filthy prissy rich boy! You aren't tricking anyone with your fancy dresses or fake smiles… you're rotten to the core, just like the rest of them!"

"On the contrary… I'm quite fresh… I've kept myself well, feeding off of all I could find. I lived off of their scraps and managed to survive… and always, **always,** I was **hungry**. The hunger I've experienced is nothing compared to what you've gone through… In fact… even now… I still hunger." A broken twig fell from the tree on top of them, making Daij look up at the tree… or what was left of it. From a somewhat dead, withering trunk it had degraded to a husk of its former self, reduced to the wooden carcass as its insides rotted and died as they spoke. Vincent's hands pulled up from underneath the snow, his fingers snapping free from the roots he'd taken to the ground to sap the tree's life and a blade burst out from his palm, slashing across Daij's eyes and blinding him.

The Ninetales let out a howl of pain as his vision was taken away, and was kicked off with unnatural strength. Vincent's left arm was still withered, but his legs were now perfectly fine, albeit the rest of his body was drained of color. "Wha… Whaaaat?! What did you doooooooo?! You **mother fucker!** I'll fucking kill y-" He was silenced by the weight of Vincent's foot stomping his head into the snow. The grass type looked at the rest of Team Star, pinned like that against the wall and discussing among themselves… and let out a sigh.

"Bunch of amateurs… still, they did surprise me a large deal with how they fought together… but they leave much to be desired… Anyways, where was I? Oh yeah… **hungry.** " He reached down to the Ninetales' neck and dug into his flesh, the ice type letting out screams of pain as he left his energy leaving his body, while Vincent's own recovered it's splendor and vigor, recovering to the point where he was fine. Meanwhile, the Ninetales had been drained to just an inch of his life, his eyes healed again so he could see what was happening. "I will always hunger, my friend… hunger to become better than everyone else, to be at the very top of the food chain, where nothing and nobody can touch me… that's my goal." He looked at his hands and at his emblem, clenching his fist as that confident smile returned, shaking his cape. "And I'll use this gift to do just that!" He got off Daij and ran over to the group and to the wall of ice, calling for Team Star.

When they turned around and saw the grass type in perfect shape, they decided they didn't need to wait any longer. Serge changed the radius of the barrier to stretch towards Taikok, shrinking around Vincent and leaving just a tiny gap behind the wall for him to stay in. The moment the Abomasnow realized that he wasn't under the protection of the blizzard anymore, it was too late. Nox released his fireball, overloading the right most shard of ice, which vibrated intensely, letting out a screeching noise that deafened until the howling blizzard before shattering into pieces, the beam of light firing off into the sky. Defenseless and dazed, Lucy screamed as she put her energy into one last intense bolt that shocked the massive ice type and stunned him as Eric and Elly moved in. Eric let out a barrage of fists straight at his stomach, pushing him back and then lowering himself to the ground and pushing off the snow with his paws, slamming both of his paws feet into his underbelly, releasing the last charges of aura in his legs and throwing him sky high, where Elly was waiting atop a transformed Zed with a black fist bigger than the Abomasnow himself.

The sheer intensity of the hit sent ripples through the air as he was sent downward and towards the entrance to the cave he'd come out from disappearing from sight and throwing Elly and the Pidgeotto she was on top of to the ground, both of them being caught by a concerned looking Eric. The snowstorm died the moment that fist hit its mark, the snowflakes fluttering around them for one last time before falling down to the ground gently, tranquility recovering its reign over the peak.

Down in the valley, the pokémon exiled from their own village looked up, among the leaders of the party was a Beartic, who faced the peak at the sound of the air rippling, like that of a hammer slamming down on stone, the sound echoing around them and disappearing along with the blizzard. For just a second, his heart skipped a beat, his hand searching for that of the other Beartic, gripping it with renewed hope as they waited, standing just in the middle of mountain ridge separating their home from the outside world.

Back on the peak, the majority Team Star celebrated their victory by sharing howls of enthusiasm, high fives or hand shakes, while some, specifically Eric and Vincent, simply smiled and traded nods with everyone else. Out of the corner of their eye, they all saw Kaui tar up and rush towards the peak as well, chasing after his leader, though for the time being there was nothing he could do. The wounds Taikok had sustained were simply too great for him to fight further, and Kaui all on his own would be unable to do anything. "Right… Well that's done and over… holy shit, that was intense. Roll call?" One by one, the members of Team Star responded to the Pidgeot, with the exception of Lucy, who'd fallen asleep on his back after that last bolt. Vincent chimed in last, which made everyone turn to look at him.

"How did you recover from your wounds?" Jake inquired, the grass type responding by pointing at the husk of Ninetales behind him.

"Giving energy isn't the only thing I can do. Don't worry, he has more than enough energy to survive for at least two or three days, I know my stuff. He's asleep, so he won't be going anywhere anytime soon… so let's just go check up on that cave and get down from here. This cold is absolutely dreadful for the complexion!" He was back to his usual, insufferable self, which made them all groan in annoyance… even if what he had done for them during that fight was bar none impressive and had saved not only Lucy's life, but probably Elly's and who knew what else.

"Right… well, after we get down there, we'll have a few words with you… don't worry, it won't be like yesterday. Hadn't you been here, Lucy's death would've made this fight snowball out of control." Bar the unintentional ice pun that made Jake groan, everyone else laughed and the Riolu facepalmed, Eric's attitude towards the grass type was softer now, something that made Vincent smile

"What? So now that I've done something nice for you all I'm getting praise? That is a far cry from the treatment I received these past few days, isn't it? A bit hypocritical, don't you think?" Any and all praise directed towards the grass type disappeared with that comment.

"You know, for just one time, just shut up and take the praise." Eric was obviously angered by the Roselia's response, kicking himself mentally for ever showing him his paw in affection.

"If it comes from the likes of you, I've no need for it. I did it to ensure my own survival, that is all." He walked past the fighting type with a snarl on his face. "Anyways, let us go into that cave and secure the criminals before descending the mountain." No further commentary was necessary as they grouped up and headed for the peak's entrance, all but Vincent keeping an eye on the still sleeping Shinx to see if she stirred awake. As they reached the entrance, however, a strange noise, perceptible only Elly, made her ears twitch and look around.

"That's weird… I can hear… voices." The others stood still and listened closer, but they didn't hear anything.

"Maybe it's your imagination?" Her mate shot her a concerned look, but the Eevee shook her head.

"No no, I can hear them clearly… I think it's someone using telepathy!" The feeling in her ears was similar to when she used it herself to communicate with anyone else, but the pokémon in that cave weren't capable of using psychic powers… or at least that she knew of. She closed her eyes and paid close attention, making sure they didn't sense her spying in on their conversation…

" _They're too strong, sir, Daij has fallen,me and Kaui have been heavily wounded… we need reinforcements! When will she arrive?!_ " The voice belonged to Taikok, who'd somehow woken up from his wounds and was calling for help. While the other voice… it made her shiver, as she recognized it immediately.

" _It is far too risky. She is not yet ready for a direction confrontation against Team Star. Her objective was to retrieve the fragment and minimize damages, and your duty was to guard it without calling too much attention… what you decided to do was drive out the inhabitants of Akil to draw more pokémon to our cause. A noble idea, but one that you were strongly advised not to follow…_ "

" _Basically, you fucked up, and now you gotta pay for the consequences! It's simple! Shame you won't be getting here in one piece, otherwise we would've loved to tear you apart ourselves._ " The two voices complimented each other, and Elly recognized them as… The Pursuer. She could barely hold her surprise, telling her companions of what she was hearing, all of them remembering the cloaked figure that had proven the be the bane of their stay in that other world… and a menace towards the friends they'd made there, along with other locals. " _Buuuut, there is a way for you to get out… it's a bit risky though!_ "

" _Please, anything! I cannot bear to… not again! I will not be taken in by those Judges again! I refuse to be taken away kicking and crying like last time, and have my dignity and possessions stripped… I will do anything to go down with a fight and take as many of them with me!_ " Elly could feel the sheer hatred and sadness in those words, his last oath being what his superiors wanted to hear.

" _You know what to do, Taikok… at any price, correct?_ " There was a long silence, and for a slight moment Elly thought they had stopped… until Taikok spoke again.

" _Understood. It was an honour fighting for your cause, sir. Take care of my family for me._ "

" _We shall… and you should hurry._ " A chill went down Elly's spine again. The vivid image of the Pursuer appeared in her mind's eye, his eyes glowing in two different colors and giving her that twisted smirk that he'd worn when claiming the lives of pokémon and humans alike. " _For we seem to have an unannounced visitor…_ " Taikok left the conversation immediately, and before Elly could do the same she felt something pulling on her mind, keeping her there. " _I know not how long you have been here… but should you survive, we shall meet again, surely… daughter of Blake._ " She managed to pull away, falling back and panting heavily as her teammates gathered around her, even Vincent to turn and face her.

"He… He knows who I am…" Suddenly, a howl of pain echoed from within the cave, protected from both sides with what seemed to be a stone statue of a strange pokémon: an Aurorus, Jake identified it, with little jewels of ice where its scales should be, signs and papers with symbols and prayers hanging overhead as they walked inside the shrine. The floor was coated on a thin layer of solid ice, reflecting the ceiling, filled with stalagmites and icicles through the which the sun shone into the room, light refracting everywhere and heightening the haunting image before them. At the bottom, a wooden altar for prayer had been erected, and behind it encased in ice, what looked like a massive Aurorus curled up into a circle protected the naked stone wall, and in the centre, a golden fragment gave off a faint cyan hue.

However, that was what it would've looked like hadn't it been for Taikok, who was grasping the fragment and screaming as tendrils of that same light extended and grabbed his arms. The pain was severe and was trying to push him away… but he still held on, his will proving to be too much even for the fragment's power. Besides him Kaui looked in a mixture of panic and despair, repeatedly shouting at him to let go of the fragment. "What the hell's going on?!" Nox, who had never seen the effects a fragment could have on an individual should they touch it, was confused, and yet… this whole scene was somehow familiar. Whatever the case, the other team members quickly rushed in to stop the Abomasnow… but it was too late.

"I will not… let you take me away!" With one mighty roar he ripped the fragment from the ice and slammed his fists backwards, a gust of ice shards and freezing wind blowing everyone away and cutting them lightly. His body was glowing, almost as if the markings from his arm had spread across his body under his fur, increasing in brightness as time went on, gripping the fragment in his right fist. "I…. I refuse! I can't…. **I can't** …" His became hoarse before letting out an ear-splitting howl, ripples of cold air threatening to freeze them on the stop hadn't it been for Serge's quick reflexes, all while Kaui took shelter besides the altar.

"Stop! Let that thing go! Taikok!" His words fell on deaf ears however, as already, the Abomasnow was doomed the moment he'd unleashed that power. His limbs were quickly coated in ice as he let out more screams, the ice around his limbs not only showing transparency, but also a type of diaphony that wasn't normal of a coat of ice. They could see right through him. He was becoming a solid block of ice, not unlike the Aurorus on the wall. Not before long, he'd completely frozen over, but he was still screaming and moving, slowing to crawling stop… until his screams too were deafened by the ice, and he seemingly died. The frozen Abomasnow shook violently, the fragment still in its clutches glowing and blinding everyone momentarily as the sound of something shattering into a billion pieces was heard… and when the light went out the statue was no more, and neither was the fragment.

They all stood still in awe of what they'd just witnessed, chills running down their spines as those that had come in contact with the fragments themselves reminisced the times they'd directly touched them… wondering just what had gone wrong and how lucky they were to not have died in such a horrifying manner as well. This all ended when Kaui let out a wail, falling down on the ice facing down, sobbing and crying. "Stop this! Please! Just… stop!" The pressure had gotten to him, and the sight of seeing his superior and to an extent mentor die like that… it was too much for him to bear, breaking down into a mess of tears and fur. "I… can't take this anymore, this is too much. I just… I just wanted food, something safe… that's all that me and my brother wanted, and we'd do anything to do it, but… this is too insane! I can't take this anymore, and I don't want to die please don't kill me! Please!"

His pleads snapped the group back to reality, still somewhat shocked that their foe had been slaughtered mercilessly in such a fashion by the very power he'd been trying to use against them. "Calm down, we shall not kill you or harm you any further… if you are truly giving up, that is." Jake's cool demeanour was their only saving grace, as the others were still too shaken to properly speak without stuttering.

"Yes! Please just… anything. I don't want this to go on, and I'm sure neither does my brother…" His pleads only made Vincent snicker and face the opposite wall of the cave, walking around.

"This is exactly what your brother told me earlier, that were just a miserable pair of kids that had gotten themselves wrapped up in some shit… but you don't exactly come through to me like too relatable. Do you know the damage you've caused and how much grief you've given to the pokémon down in Akil?" He didn't get a response, instead turning to face him. "I'm waiting for your response you know."

"Vincent, they said they would give up, what is it that you want?" Jake turned to face the grass type, not condoning his behaviour in the slightest.

"From them? Nothing, I am just making sure they fully understand the severity of their actions. Taking into account that, right now, I am the only one who decides whether or not his brother lives or dies, I have the power to do so. Or what, did you expect me to not understandingly, drag him back to Cunabula and have him confess to what he's done? We don't need a confession from him or his brother. We don't need anything other than them to be punished for all they've done. They were once weaklings, and once they rose to power they used that power to take advantage of the weak and kill them. What other punishment do they deserve but death?"

"We are **not** killing them, if that's what you're suggesting, Vincent." Elly stepped in between him and the Ninetales, standing up for the sobbing mess of fur. "They may have done horrible things, but it's not in our hands to decide what happens to them."

"Oh yeah? And in whose hands is it? In the Judges'? You know that what awaits them back there is ten times more horrible than what I'm proposing. Or do you want some corrupt judge to make them go to trial and probably get them a death sentence anyways? Either way, I don't see these two anywhere else but five feet underground and labeled as terrorists." She bit her lower lip and looked away. "You all know I am right. And need I remind you **he** was the one that pierced Lucy's throat and almost killed her? Or are you just willing to forgive him for that all of a sudden now that he's broken down into a poor sobbing kid?"

Nobody answered him for the longest time, but the fact that none of the pokémon spoke up or looked at the grass type was all he needed to know their decision. "Bunch of cowards. Cowards, hypocrites and liars, the lot of you. No wonder our world is going to shit: with heroes like you, who needs villains." He stormed out of the cave to go and fetch the other of the Ninetales brothers, leaving the rest of Team Star to ponder his words. While he was gone, Zed approached the ice fox, asking him to turn over to check the wound on his stomach. At first, he was scared of the Zorua, but he conceded and showed him his wounds.

"It doesn't look that deep… you'll be fine, once we get you to the village they'll be able to heal you so you don't bleed out. How old are you?"

"S-sixteen." He was just as young as Nox and Jake, who were the youngest of the group. Barely a kid in Serge's eyes, which made this even harder to understand. "Y-you are…"

"We won't do what Vincent says… he's not exactly a part of the team to begin with either… but he's right." Something in the Zorua's eyes made the Ninetales shiver. "I will not forget you for what you've done to my mate. You would've killed us all without a second thought a few minutes ago and now you're asking for forgiveness… You may be younger than I am, and you may have made some wrong decisions… but it was all your choices that ended up with you here. So cry all you want, I won't feel sorry for you." And with that the dark type walked away, Eric walking into his path and putting a paw on his shoulders as he sobbed on his own, having gotten that off of his chest, receiving a comforting hug from his best friend while the Ninetales looked at the ground, doing just what the Zorua had told him.

It wasn't long before Vincent came back, dragging Daij right behind him and leaving him in the middle of the room like he was a useless sack of potatoes. Kaui wasted no time crawling over to his brother, checking his breath. "He'll live, I made sure of it, as much as it lives a bad taste in my mouth to say that… let's just go and get this over with." They gave the still conscious Ninetales just a little bit of time to check that his brother was alright, stirring him awake shortly after.

"Wha… Kaui, what is…"

"It's over brother… Taikok… He used the power he had and destroyed himself…" His words seemed to strike Daij pretty hard, looking around at Team Star. He attempted to get up, but was too weak to even muster up the strength to stand. "It's over, they won't hurt us anymore, they're just going to… turn us in."

"Turn us in?! Brother they'll only..:"

"Do you want to keep going like this?!" Everyone stayed silent and let the two brothers argue. "Do you still want to keep on pushing like this without Taikok?! Without any real purpose?! What else have they given us asides from food and a roof, brother?! I haven't felt that sense of accomplishment they always talked about... only grief and guilt whenever we stole food from them and made sure they froze to death! And I know you've felt the same… And I don't want us to go through this anymore…" He nuzzled him, sobbing softly, and Daij closed his eyes, thinking for a long time as he himself accepted just that.

"What a stupid charade… can we please start moving?!" An irate Vincent chimed in and interrupted their brotherly moment, making everyone else face the grass type with contempt. Even Zed, who had more than enough reasons to despise the ice type, wasn't being so brutal with them, and it made the group wonder whether or not Vincent had a legitimate reason behind his actions or if he simply enjoyed showing authority over pokémon that were too weak to fight back… the same thing that he had criticized them for.

Whatever the case, their opinions of the grass type were already cemented and wouldn't budge in the slightest… and nobody was in the mood to discuss with Vincent over it. They got Daij on Serge's back and Kaui was escorted by Elly, Eric and Nox, all three of them standing around him and keeping an eye on the ice type, making sure he didn't try anything funny, though it was merely a formality, as he looked just as defeated as earlier when Zed talked with him.

They got out of the cave, but just as they were walking through the clearing at the top of the mountain… snowflakes began falling down on their heads. Instinctually, they looked up to check the sky… and to their shock, it was still clear, the sun going down still. There was no longer any danger of the blizzard freezing them do death during the night… but the fact that there wasn't a single cloud in the sky and it was snowing was worrying, to say the least. They exchanged looks of concern, not sure of what to do.

"I think we should just go down the mountain and get to town as soon as possible, that way w-" An ear splitting screech that was all too familiar to them cut off the Pidgeot's suggestion, waking up Lucy and Daij, and making Kaui's eyes open wide.

"Tha- that scream… it can't be!" That was the same sound that they'd heard about a few minutes ago… when Taikok had shattered into pieces in front of them. The blizzard picked up strength after that, but it was nowhere near as cold as before… it still obstructed their vision. Even when Serge tried to create a field, out of fear that it would freeze them on the spot, he found himself unable to.

"What the… This wind it's… much stronger than before!"

"But it's not freezing us solid! What the hell's going on?!" Not even Nox could feel any abnormalities in the temperature… even if he already felt the cold to begin with.

"Let's back to the cave and put these two safe… Come on!" They made their way back to the cave and took shelter inside, leaving the two Ninetales brothers safely by the shrine before scanning the outside. The storm was still raging, and even if Serge tried and tried again, his magic didn't have any effect on the blizzard. "That's weird… it's too strong for me now. Taikok's wasn't nearly this bad, and if it were a natural one then it'd be even easier…"

Vincent glanced at the twins, but Elly quickly forced to look away. "You've already beat them thoroughly… you think they have the strength to muster up something like this? Besides… Taikok said he was the one making the blizzard, and he was the only one with an emblem."

"Oh, so now you're going to take a terrorist's word for granted? How low can you go?"

"Oh will you just put a cork in it and pay attention!" Her response promptly shut the grass type up, though he was in a very foul mood either way. They waited for a bit longer, and nothing but the wound of the Blizzard howling was heard… until they heard laughter, once again, laughter that they recognized as Taikok's.

"Who goes there?!" Jake was the first to speak up and ask… only for the blizzard to return the inquiry, and with his exact voice and tone too. "What the…"

"Please tell me it just echoed." Lucy was starting to show signs of distress again, looking around as her mind kept flashing back to that single fatallic moment… which she was still trying to avoid thinking about lest she had a nervous breakdown.

"No, that was a little bit different… if it were an echo we would've heard it repeatedly, but now i-" They heard the question again, which confirmed Elly's fears. Whatever was out there… it was listening closely to their every word and move, and repeating it all down to their very accent.

"Shit man… This is creepy. You think it's like… his ghost or something?"

"Given how he broke apart and what he was holding… It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if he actually didn't die." The last word of Eric's sentence was repeated by the blizzard over and over, which was about what they needed to understand its intentions.

"He's waiting for us out there… whatever he's become now." As Serge spoke, the wind mingled and matched their words to make some incoherent sentences… and some very much coherent, sending chills down their spines.

"Let's not keep him waiting then. If gets down from this mountain… whatever he is, he could end up being far worse than the actual Taikok. Those fragments have always been bad news." The Riolu's words made everyone turn to face him, confused. "We aren't going to be able to stay up here forever, waiting for this thing to disappear… and even if it does, it won't just go away magically, it'll become someone else's problem, probably Akil's, and we swore we'd save them from the blizzards. We aren't about to go back on our promise."

"Besides… we are the only ones who can do this." He showed them the symbol that now he, Elly, Serge and Vincent shared. "Taikok said that elementals, which I presume we are now, attract other elementals. There's a chance that this thing could chase after us if we don't finish it here… and bring all this snow and cold with it. They may be ready to face it here in Akil, but in Cunabula it could prove to be disastrous… let alone if it goes all the way to North Sinnoh. Or it could spread to the whole world for all we know… and all because we didn't face it here and now, before it goes anywhere else."

"That's true but… we don't know what it is to begin with, we could be walking straight into a death trap here Eric." Nox, surprisingly, was being reasonable. He understood where Eric was coming from… but more than ever, the possibility of death loomed above their heads, probably because of the episode that Lucy had put them all through.

"Well… as long as you all don't run in and get your heads chopped off… I should be able to heal you. If worse comes to worse that is." To their utter shock, Vincent once again put his services on the table, proving to be an invaluable asset, Elly making a mental note to thank Ferrus' foresight when they got back home… if they ever did. "My ability takes a heavy toll on myself and my body, so let's not abuse it… and don't think that this means I've changed my views on you, even after that committed speech."

"Frankly? I don't give a damn about what you think about me anymore. The fact of the matter is that there is a threat that only we can take care of… so we'll do just that." The others nodded in understanding, and Vincent's glare changed to a bemused smile.

"Fine… I'll concede… if the kitty cat doesn't turn out to be a liability." He quickly pointed out something that had gone unnoticed by most of the team members: up on Serge's back, Lucy was trembling like a leaf, about to break down into tears, clearly conflicted.

"Lucy… do you want to stay here? With them?" Lucy quickly turned to look at the Ninetales brothers, and then outside… It was either getting stuck along with her attempted murderers or going out there to face a situation awfully similar to when she'd almost died.

"No. I… want to go with you all. I'll offer support whenever I can from Serge's back… probably a bolt or two. I'm not feeling too hot right now."

"Do what you can or want, but do make sure you don't become a deadweight halfway through the battle. I don't have anything against you personally… besides what I have against every single pokémon in your group… and, you know, those shocks you gave me that other night… and your foul attit- Ow!" Her fur crackled as a single jolt of electricity zapped the back of his head and Serge's body.

"Sorry Serge, but you're collateral. And don't worry, I won't be a "liability"... Whatever that is." Some chuckles spread through the group, the tensions between them having cooled off considerably… and now that they were all mentally and physically ready, Eric was the first to walk out and into the snowstorm, readying himself with aura and his light staff. The others followed him closely, sticking together and never straying too far into the snowstorm. They went like this for several minutes, reaching what seemed to be the edge of the cliff, but once they turned around… the blizzard dissipated, the great glaciers once again coming into view, which was a familiar and expected sight.

What wasn't expected where the dozen of ice sculptures behind them.

They could see a sculpture for each of the Team Star members and Vincent, all ready for battle and facing off against what looked like Taikok and the Ninetales twins, a faithful representation of what had just transpired. Besides them, however, were new members: that same Aurorus from the shrine, howling out into the skies, a cloaked figure, which they all recognized as the Pursuer… and another pokémon, which no one had ever seen, but Jake identified as a Kommo-O. "A species native to the far north of the Johto peninsula and surrounding islands."

"The region that's trying to become independent? That's… a really weird looking pokémon. What are they doing here?"

"Well… the Pursuer and the Aurorus weren't here during the fight… and let's theorize for a second, that these ice sculptures could be a representation of Taikok's last memories… which would explain the presence of the Pursuer, the last pokémon he talked to, and the Aurorus, which was everywhere inside that cave. If that were to be the case then… That Kommo-O must be related to both Taikok and the Pursuer is some way."

"Huh… Why do I get the feeling that I've seen them before?" Nox suddenly spoke up, approaching the ice sculptures and looking at the ice statue closer, inspecting every small detail. He was awfully familiar, but he couldn't quite his paw on it… Though he had a very limited amount of time to think about this, as suddenly the Taikok statue trembled and cracks appeared all over it. The group jumped backwards and away from the statue, but soon all the rest were following its example… and inside the ice statue, something could be seen. Something black as coal, covered in snow white and silver scales, and a strange metallic head, which gave off a blue hue… Before they could even process what they were looking at however, the statues shattered into fragments, and these fragments blew and flew around them in a haphazard way, the blizzard itself having compacted itself into those statues to give the group that grim image… and within the blizzard, they saw it again.

( **Frozen Frog - Devil May Cry 4** )

The creature rose up to its full height, a full eight feet, towering over Serge and leaving the Pidgeot behind in strides, those scales covering it growing bigger and bigger as the blizzard died down slowly, enveloping the monster until it was outfitted in a strange icy body, which doubled his height, encased inside of it like some sort of full body armor. And its head was now easily distinguishable: the watch fragment was there, glowing intensely as it seemed to be controlling the creature, facing the group as the head was finished around it, the glow only coming out through a set of icy fangs and six eyes arranged in two columns. The creature gave out a roar that could be heard down in the valley, where Akil's inhabitants had slowly made their way back… and they all knew that their fight was far from over.

With the real threat now in full display before them, and given its characteristics, just as it roar, Eric cried out the only possible definition for the monster that Taikok's will and the fragment's power had given birth to. " **REBSCURA!** " The creature lunged at them, the four-fingered hand at the end of its thin right arm morphing into a sharp end, moving with unparalleled speed and forcing the Riolu to jump away, though immediately it reverted to its original form and elongated itself, grabbing the fighting type and pulling him closer, crushing him in its icy grip.

The others broke out of their shocked stupor and unleashed everything they had: bolts of electricity, blasts of wind, fireballs, icicles flew all at once at the creature, while a black mass transformed into a fist, right on top of it a Cranidos and a Roselia approaching the creature at kick speeds. Its left arm changed shapes, growing wider and blocking most of the magic attacks, but the fist threw it off balance, allowing Vincent and Zed to rush up its arm, the transformed Zorua smashing against its head whilst Vincent's arm shot out a vine and swung from one arm to the other, sliding on its thin surface and stabbing the wrist with his blade, forcing the monster to release Eric as the hand shattered and fell to pieces, the Riolu retaliating with an aura sphere directly to its chest. The group retreated as the creature took all of these attacks one after another.

"Eat that, you fucking freak!" Lucy screamed at the top of her lungs and shot another bolt… but to their surprise even at its speed the creature's arm changed, this time into a flat surface that the bolt simply bounced off of and hit Lucy back in the blink of an eye, which knocked her off of Serge's back and shocked her for a few seconds, leaving the rest and the Shinx utterly confused. "B-but that's… that's fucking cheating!" The creature took her words and repeated that last one, before putting both of its arms together, transforming them in what looked like the barrel of a cannon, its body glowing intensely, not unlike the fragments Taikok had used to refract sunlight…

"Holy shiiiit!" Nox screamed as they all scrambled out of the way, the energy beam burning right through the snow and the stone, making the earth crackle and break as it was burnt to a crisp, molten rock and steam shooting up as the entire area became more unstable, the snow sliding as a small avalanche began, dragging them all down the hill, screaming. The creature didn't stop charging however, aiming to erase them as they were defenseless, but Eric quickly send another aura sphere towards it. To his dismay however, the creature simply blocked the projectile… which never blew up, absorbing it as it spread to its arms and legs, unlike the Riolu's own self-taught technique.

"It just…" He didn't have time to finish his sentence as it got down on all fours and unleashed the aura all at once, launching itself across the air and down the hill, sliding on the running snow and halting, arms transforming into claws as it waited in their path to slice them down to bits. Nox and Jake fired more icicles, but the creature blew out its icy breath, stopping the fireballs while the icicles left nothing but mere scratches on it. The first ones to reach it where Vincent and Eric, and the former used his vines to grab on to its arm like before and try and sling under and over it, whilst Eric used his water string to stick to its face and try to smash a light staff into it… but to their shock, it once again adapted. Time seemed to slow down as it slashed across the snow and attacked Serge, who used his wind and wings to launch himself forward and away, though not before the claws scratched his back, all whilst the creature moved its left arm and head in unison, making the two vine like users smash together in the air, eliciting a simultaneous groan of pain and then dunking the two further down the side of the mountain and to the next patch of flat snow, now closer to the glaciers and the endless abyss underneath.

The others reached the three wounded pokémon unharmed, though Lucy barely had the strength to stand on her own four legs. It wasn't long before the creature joined them down there, its arms morphing into that flat barrier and the icicle, roaring and lunging at the group. Elly and Nox quickly stepped forward and attacked at the same time, but the same strategy from earlier failed, as it halted and slid on the snow, throwing it all over the two and smashed its shield against the fire and the fist. The shield absorbed the fire and glowed intensely, which then burst out and incinerated Elly's dark construct, rendering her somewhat defenseless to the next attack from the other arm, which tried to skewer her through the skull. She quickly brought up a psychic barrier that softened the attack, breaking the sharp end and letting her deal with a blunt extreme of the attack, which knocked her unconscious to Eric's panic, whilst Nox was thrown away by the crash of the icy limb, falling near Eric, Serge and Vincent, who was already busy healing his own wounds and Serge's.

"Elly!" Eric attempted to get up but yelped in pain, his ankle twisted in a strange way. Vincent stood up, his back somewhat withered from healing Serge's wounds, having ignored his own broken arm for the time being and focusing on healing the fighting type.

"Don't move! You imbecile! You will worsen your wounds and make it harder for me to heal you!" Vincent took a hold of his leg and asked Nox to aid him in putting the femur in place before healing it completely.

"Damn it…" He looked at the Eevee, accompanied only by Lucy, Zed and Jake. "Elly! Wake up! Elly!" Since she was unconscious they couldn't communicate through their psychic link, and so the creature grabbed the Eevee's name and repeated it mockingly, adding insult to injury as its arms combined into that same cannon shape and gathered light, aiming it directly at the group. Jake closely observed all of this, his focus allowing him to see how the ice was structured: layers branched out in equally perfect ways, like fractals that followed an endless pattern, and within them the light bounced back and forth, increasing in intensity.

With Lucy still weak, and Elly unconscious, Zed was the only one who could do anything to save the group from being incinerated… and quickly transformed into a Graveler, using his four arms to grab them and try to escape… but the creature fired a smaller beam and blasted the snow and molten rock again, splashing his back and burning him even through the rock, while the steam, boiling hot, hit his eyes, making him howl out in pain whilst Lucy screamed his name, shooting another bolt in anger, directed both at the monster and Jake, who was still looking at it. He saw how the bolt hit the barrier, and seemingly splashed against and across it, a smooth thin layer of ice that was almost transparent, and yet reflected them perfectly. Just the perfect amount to be brittle enough to be shattered in one hit and yet made in such a way to refract any type of energy. The bolt shot back and hit her again, spreading through the paining Graveler to the others, snapping Elly out of her unconsciousness and frying Jake for just a bit, breaking his concentration. Though he'd gotten about as much information as he needed from the creature. The continuous screams and that ray once again made the hills and the snow shift as they were all dragged further down.

As they descended, the monster rushed towards them, the group falling through a snowy forest, avoiding the roots and trunks as best they could, Eric being forced to use his staff and grab Vincent to turn sharply and avoid hitting a particularly thick one, leaving in it their path to blow up the Rebscura as it chased after them. It worked, and the creature flew up… only to come back down with its fists held together in another cannon, blasting the forest and the trees into bits and burnt splinters, burning fragments and flames licking away at their furs and feathers as they passed through a very brief hell on the snow, which made Vincent panic. As they slid out of the forest they all tried to group up, the creature sliding through the burning woods and facing the Team again.

" _Everyone, report!_ " Eric made a roll call, as he feared they'd lost someone in the midst of all that confusion.

" _Zed is unconscious! Oh my god his back… I can see the blood and… He's gonna bleed out like this!_ "

" _Vincent is already on his way, don't worry!_ " As he said this the Riolu motioned to Vincent to rush to the Zorua, who was in fact bleeding out. But he wasn't the only one, as the twigs, rocks and flames had taken their toll on the group, leaving cuts, burns and some very ugly looking blue wounds, especifically Nox, whose right leg was twisted, probably broken.

" _Fuck… we're gonna fucking die… this hurts so much!_ " The Houndour was about to break down into tears from the pain and panic.

" _Pull yourself together kiddo! We need to combine all our attacks again, just like we did earlier_!"

" _I can't summon by black construct again though, it's too soon and we've gotten too far away from the remains! It's going to take longer for me to call it back!_ "

" _And even then, it wouldn't work._ " Jake's statement was bleak, to say the least, and he earned himself an angry response from Lucy.

" _Shut the fuck up Jake! You could've moved out of the fucking way and Zed wouldn't have gotten hurt like this! If you want to fucking die so badly then do it on your own you f-_ "

" _It won't work._ " He interrupted her again. " _Because we used it before. I have a theory on how we can beat this creature… but it will require an intense amount of teamwork._ " They all looked at the Sneasel, and even if Lucy was still livid with him… she recognized that when he had a plan, they usually worked out. " _This is a fearsome foe, but there is one glaring weakness that I have just now uncovered… We must exploit it now, before it learns that this weakness exists._ "

" _Just tell us what to do!_ " Lucy once again pressed the ice type, who gave in and explained his plan. While Nox, Eric and Serge would carry out the thick of it and Lucy and Vincent would cover the wounded Zorua, Elly and Jake quickly dashed towards the Rebscura the moment the explanation was finished, roaring as they used psychic blades and icicles simultaneously to draw its attention. The icicles were blocked, but the first few blades dented its shield before it also adapted, absorbing the energy and throwing it back, the two engaging in battle alone whilst Eric and Nox both stood side by side in front of Serge.

"So you know how to do this?" Serge inquired, gathering up wind, mostly oxygen above their heads.

"Yeah, I did it once before… with Nox's fire, it'll be even more painful for it."

"What are we waiting for then?! Let's do it! Eric!" He arched his back and breathed out fire, the Riolu's paws glowing with blue aura before it became flames too, fireballs growing and throwing them at the mass of fire that Serge was keeping together through the use of his wind technique. Nox added the fire, Eric concentrated into spheres and Serge kept them all together in one bigger orb… The heat was palpable and melted the snow around them.

"Eric! Now!" Serge called out their leader's name once the sphere was too big for him to control, and the Riolu jumped onto Nox's back, then from him he bounced onto Serge, and leaped off of him with his fist coated in aura, roaring as he punched the cluster of fireballs… and unleashed the aura from his fist. The balls fired up in the sky and momentarily halted… before raining down on the ground at high speeds. A rain of fireballs enveloped the group as Serge sheltered both of the pokémon under him with his wind and the other three around the incapacitated pokémon, a move not unlike the one Eric and Elly had once performed with the human Eric back when he was alive.

Jake watched it all unfold behind the creature and smiled as the fire rained down upon their heads. "Elly!"

"Got it!" She quickly brought up a barrier to defend them… and the fire did the rest. Each time a ball hit the ground the fire burst out in a small explosion, spreading around and melting snow and burning whatever it caught that was flammable... and when it hit the Rebscura, it too was caught off-guard, as a new angle of attack and strategy were revealed to it. And as it struggled to deal with that attack, Elly felt her dark construct return, and howled out as she and Jake unleashed a simultaneous attack, Jake throwing out a chunk of ice which Elly grabbed with her fist and slammed into the monster, shattering it's barrier and then hitting its face cleanly with his fist, shattering its armor into bits and exposing the fragment.

( **Stop the music** )

The creature let out an otherworldly high pitched screech of pain and stopped moving, looking skyward as the fire rained down around and on it, melting the ice off of it and weakening it severely and exposing more and more of its dark limbs, melting the ice scales all over it and leaving it just a bare humanoid creature. Once the firestorm was over, the group stood still for just a bit, listening closely to the monster's sounds and screams… and nothing came. Before they could cheer however, it quickly lashed out, what was left of its ice armor shattering as it smacked Elly away to the group and Jake closer to the edge. They were right at the level of the glaciers, but between the huge chunks of ice and the cliff was a long fall, spikes of ice and veils of frozen water leading one into a hole so deep that not even light could show the bottom. The sun was setting now, and the light was bouncing off the glaciers and through it, the colors of the rainbow illuminating the scene as Jake fought and blasted icicles and attacks from the monster, having identified it as the inventor of the strategy that had wounded it so heavily. Enraged, it attacked, again and again, drawing Jake closer to the edge… until there was nowhere left to go, bringing its foot down and kicking him right up to the end.

"Jake!" Eric got up and rushed to him, same with the other two pokémon with him… but the creature was ready for them, both of its hands hollowing out and becoming cannons, gathering light as one pointed at Jake, and the other pointed at the wounded group. It was giving them a choice. Vincent's arm was still broken, and would only be able to grab either Lucy or Zed… but not both. Elly tried to stand up and try to defend the group, but the last hit had broken some of her ribs, and that blinding burning pain was surging from within her fur, drawing tears to her eyes, coughing up some blood whilst the Sneasel turned to face on his back, panting heavily and looking at the monster, who returned its gaze.

"Grab them!" He ordered the group, but already the trio who had said choice were torn as to what to do… but either way, they were going to lose someone.

"No! We can't let you… Nox, Serge, go get him!"

"It's too late you won't get to all of us in time! Get the others I will be fine!"

"Jake!" Serge howled out the Sneasel's name, and the monster once again, picked it up.

"Jake… Jake… Jake… die…" A wicked smile appeared on his mouth as the beams were almost charged up, the ice type closing his eyes…

"Serge! Get them!" It was either now or never… and Serge chose. In the middle of his flight towards Jake, he closed his eyes and sobbed… and took a sharp left towards the other group, tackling them and making them roll away from where the beam was going to hit. The beams fired… and the one aimed at the wounded group missed entirely, piercing the trees behind them and lighting them on fire.

As the beam on top of Jake fired… he smiled, opening his eyes and bringing his right arm, which had been buried in the snow all of this time, right in front of him, holding a thin layer of ice that the monster recognized the instant he hit the ice barrier, the same type he'd used countless times earlier to return the pokémon's attacks right back at them. With a triumphal smile, Jake returned the beam to its, melting right through its neck, the beam hitting the very top of the spire above them, making the earth and the entire mountain tremble and shake momentarily.

There was a single second of peace and realization: Jake had been observing the creature to learn of how it used the ice in those ways… and turned that ability against it. The creature stood still, falling backward slightly… and then slamming down its foot on Jake's chest. A sharp, pain followed by asphyxiation clouded his senses, and everything went blurry as the adrenaline rushing through him made his ears ring, letting out the loudest scream he was able to… which basically transformed into a long whine as his lungs collapsed and were pierced by his shattered ribs.

Everyone else looked on in horror as the creature stomped the Sneasel mercilessly, crying out his name and heading for the creature again… who readied its arms to fire more of those solar beams, and stopped its stomping, keeping the Sneasel pinned. Serge could barely see Jake out of the corner of his eye, his blood pooling up around him from the pierced skin… even if they were to beat it now, Jake was too hurt and Vincent didn't have enough energy for him… he was as good as dead. The Rebscura kept the others at bay, seemingly in a panic, its head shifting and looking at one group and then another, not a single one of them moving a muscle.

"I should've known…" Jake's voice was barely audible to the rest, but the Rebscura turned to face him almost immediately. "You are not a normal creature… causing major damage to an area like that wouldn't destroy you… But I took that into account nonetheless, and I have used to put you in a situation to exploit your weakness." Jake mustered up a smile. "You greatest strength against us was your innate ability to learn and adapt. Whatever we threw at you, you first took the attack, but then adapted to our attacks, and when our strategies were repeated, you reacted and countered them accordingly. Even if we used new attacks or strategies, if they were slightly similar, you simply drew from those past experiences…" He coughed up some more blood.

"I shive at thought of how powerful a being like you could've become. Should you have remained alive and survived this encounter, with the knowledge you'd gotten from us you would've easily overcome most opposition, learned more… and become an undefeatable killing machine. But thankfully, this place shall be your grave… all because of that same ability. You can only learn those facts… one at a time. You require focus, just like any normal being, and when there are two or more impulses simultaneously, you must split your attention, you struggle to learn both at the same time…" The stone underneath them cracked from the weight of the Rebscura. "The first fact: due to your stomping and the weight, this cliff is going to collapse and throw us both into the abyss" The mountain rumbled behind them as a deafening noise eclipsed all others. "The second fact: an avalanche is heading our way and is going to throw us off the cliff."

And it was then when Jake, whose wounds had been frozen over thanks to his own abilities, pulled up the same fragment he'd used to deflect his beam, a lot thicker. "Third fact: **I've won.** " The shard shot up into its neck and burst into pieces, shattering the head and exposing the fragment, the cliff giving out underneath them as the monster lost its footing. Jake grabbed onto his leg and climbed up, fighting and roaring through the pain as he grabbed the ridges of the melted ice and jumped off its shoulders, spinning in midair and stretching his claws as the creature shouted… and in one flash of light, the neck was severed completely by his claws, grabbing the fragment as he flew towards safety upside down, small snowflakes and shards of ice trailing after him as he kept that same smile on his face. "Checkmate."

In the span of just a couple short seconds, which slowed down to a crawl for the rest, the Sneasel had leaped over the creature, coated in black drops of the Rebscura's substance and the shards of the ice he'd shattered, the light of the setting sun shining behind him, making for a breathtaking scene. As Jake fell he managed to angle himself to land on his feet, but his wounds took his toll and fell on his knees the moment he hit the ground, groaning as a sharp pain coursed through his legs as well, his own illness taking a toll already. Behind him, the icy goliath tumbled back and forth, black mist spewing from its head like a geyser as it let out high pitched screeches, making the mountain tremble… until the chest burst into pieces as well, limbs and lower half falling down on the already precarious cliff and completely breaking it off. The rocks rolled and dragged the snow on top of them… and with it, Jake found himself stuck in the flow and dragged towards the abyss.

"Jake!" Eric called the Sneasel's name as he summoned two aura spheres: the one in his right paw became transparent as he blasted right behind him, launching him to the cliff, sliding on the snow as the one in his left one became a sphere of water, then fell off the cliff after Jake, managing to grab his free hand just in time, while the sphere shot and hooked onto the cliff side. The two saw the remains of the monster fall and tumble down the icy waves, smashing and breaking into them as they gave off an intense glow, the rush of snow from the avalanche rushing above them and slightly covering their view as the ice smashed and broke brutally… And then a flash of light blinded them. Those on the cliff saw only the mounds of snow that had fallen over the cliff shoot back up in a spectacular typhoon of frost, the glaciers before them shaking and cracking near the source of the explosion, the bang echoing all across the entire icy region, reaching Akil and beyond.

"Damn it… hold on Jake!" Eric started to pull himself up with the string… but his combined weight and the Sneasel's was proving to be too much for him. The ice type had frozen the fragment to his hand… and tried to go limp in the Riolu's paws. He felt for a second that his grip on his companion slipped, and held on, turning to look at him with panicking eyes. "What are you doing?!"

"The string will not hold both of our weights! You are too weakened from earlier! Let me go and save yourself! The fragment will stick to my hand, you just need to find my b-"

"Like hell I'm gonna let you go! Now stop being an idiot and- Gah!" The string stretched violently, and he could feel like his shoulder was about to snap in two. He still held on however, trying to climb up. Already, up on the cliff the others were struggling and trying to find a solution to this issue…

"Vincent!" The Pidgeot called for the grass type, who was wounded, just like the flying type. He wouldn't have enough energy to heal Serge and have him fly down, especially when they were so close to the cliffside… so there was only one solution for them.

"Damn it! Jake! Don't let go!" Eric kept repeating himself, trying to convince the Sneasel that there was another way. The string snapped again as the Riolu roared and tried to push himself up higher, spotting his mate's brown ears peeking over the cliff… right when the string snapped. The only thing holding them up broke and they proceeded to plummet to oblivion.

" **Noooooo!** " The two falling pokémon a scream from above… and then a green vine shot down, coiling itself around Eric's arm and once again holding them suspended in midair. The Riolu, who'd closed his eyes and waiting for the inevitable surge of pain and death, cracked an eye open and looked up… to find a smiling Vincent whose right arm had transformed into a vine, while his left and the rest of his body had taken roots in the mountain.

"Good grief… After that entire fight you were willing to give up so easily? That's a disappointment and a half if you ask me…" He wasn't having any issues holding them there, but couldn't pull them up. But that was where Nox and Elly came in, grabbing the vine with their fangs, pulling back as the two pokémon ascended up the cliff face. "Ouch! Watch your heat Nox! It may not look like it, but this is part of my body!"

"I can't help it! It's all involuntary!" Is what the Houndour intended to say, but with the green limb in his mouth only muffles came out. Elly focused her entire being on pulling up, and Lucy, who'd been besides her mate, who was already stabilized, rushed over and helped pull up. A full minute of pull later they were close enough for Elly to use her black craft to pull the rest of the way and get them up, the grass type's body recovering its color as the vine retreated. Once they were far away from the cliff side, and only when they made sure they were all safe, only then did Eric hug the Sneasel, as cold as he was. Right after him Nox came to tackle the ice type, followed by Lucy and Elly. "You crazy mother fucker ice… What the fuck was that all about! You were willing to let yourself die like that?!"

"I thought there was no way for us to get up… and Eric risked his own life to save us."

"I honestly thought I could pull us up, even if I was exhausted… but how'd Vincent get back to full strength to quickly?" The grass type smiled and motioned towards Serge.

"Let's just say… Someone decided to donate for the cause." Behind him, the Pidgeot looked exhausted, but out of danger, waving his wing at them weakly. "He let me take the energy I needed from him."

"Yep… Wouldn't be the first time a man sucked me dry."

"And it wouldn't be the first time I've sucked a man dry myself." Both he and the Pidgeot let out a simultaneous chuckle whilst Nox and Lucy gagged.

"Oh come the fuck on!" Nox looked away whilst Lucy kept on gagging.

"You guys are the actual fucking worst. We all almost died and you're ALREADY cracking those jokes again?" The Lucy's inquiry was met with more laughter, now also from Eric and Elly, who were in high spirits after all of that. Even Jake joined in, laughing and chuckling along with them. His chuckles didn't last long however, as a sudden wave of exhaustion came over him, his limbs becoming heavier along with his eyelids, world spinning around him as nausea took over… the next moment he was on the snow, breathing heavily and coughing, and his body felt hot… really hot. And then, nothing.

* * *

His eyes snapped open and shot up from underneath the sheets, immediately inspecting his surroundings. Wooden walls, a fireplace near him, a comfy warmth, even for himself, and his felt incredibly sore and it was difficult to move… but his eyes could open and close, his breathing and heartbeat, albeit a bit faster than normal, no doubt because of his sudden awakening, were ok, and looking out the window besides him he saw a street full of pokémon dancing and eating around a fireplace. It was the dead of night, but they were still doing something… celebrating, perhaps?

"Hey." A voice called from behind, and he immediately turned around to face them. He found himself face to face with Vincent, who, albeit looking withered and tired, seemed perfectly healthy, with no visible wounds or broken bones. "Finally woke up, eh? You're perfectly healthy, I made sure to heal all the internal wounds and did all I could with the rest, though you're going to be wearing those bandages for a bit." He pointed at his torso, and sure enough, they were covered in those white strips of cloth. "Your ribs were also cracked and pierced your lungs, but I managed to put all of those in place too… The advantages of having had a half baked barber slash surgeon as a mentor for a few years: you get to see a lot of pokémon opened up down the middle."

"Y-you… you operated on me?" The Sneasel was shocked to hear this, but the grass type shrugged.

"Come on dude, I'm a grass type, I can heal wounds with a snap of my fingers… sure, I'm not the greatest person to ask for pointers and to detect wounds. That was all thanks to Elly and Zed, as well as Akil's own physician. You were a fucking mess on the inside, if I hadn't stabilized you the entire time you would've kicked the bucket a lot earlier… next time, try to not freeze your wounds. The blood builds up and in gangrenes and… I think I'm just trailing off right now aren't I?"

"Yeah, a little." The two pokémon looked at each other in an awkward silence before the grass type turned around.

"Well, now that you're alright, I'll go tell the others. Be sure t-"

"Why did you help me?" He drily asked the question to the pokémon that had turned out to be his savior, despite all odds and opinions he may have had of him in the past.

The grass type turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Why? I mean… shouldn't you be asking other questions right, like what happened, or where you are… instead you want to know why I helped save your life?" Jake nodded, and Vincent shook his head. "Geez, they weren't kidding when you said you're the weirdo… Well, I suppose there's no harm indulging you: I did it because you impressed me."

"I… impressed you?"

"Yeah." He grabbed a chair and sat on his backwards, resting his arms on the top rail. "And I don't mean it like, with what you did yesterday… as shocking as that turn of events was, and trust me I was shaken at the sight of you taking that thing's head clean off, willing to sacrifice yourself and all that… I feel that, out of this entire team of complete and utter hypocrites, you're more… redeemable one." Once again, Vincent was back to both simultaneously insulting and praising others, especially those that weren't present. "No, I did it because of what you told me yesterday: you mentioned you were born and lived during the time freeze."

Jake's confusion must've been clear as day, because Vincent began chuckling. "Allow me to explain: from what I know, because I was lucky enough to be frozen during that event, that was a cruel, desperate world where one could only survive based on brute strength… and I look at you, someone who is not only abnormally physically weak because of the condition of your bones… which by the way, you picked the wrong fucking profession for having slightly brittle bones pal. Anyways, trailing off again: I look at you, and I can only imagine the shit you've gone through, and how much you've had to give up and adapt to your surroundings… and I pity you. At the same time though, I admire the lengths you're willing to go to, not only to save your teammates mind you, but also save those in need."

"So… you healed me because you think I am someone… brought up in an adverse situation who strived and now helps others in similar situations?" His question was answered with a smile and a shrug.

"Pretty much! I have a soft spot for people who do that: they got out of the shithole they grew up in, but never forgot what it felt like, so they help the weak instead of crush them. There's something admirable about that, don't you think?"

"So that's why, during our first meeting back in Cunabula… You poisoned that pokémon?"

"Well, poisoned I think isn't fair, I just… spiked his drink a little bit, made sure he didn't leave the bathroom for a couple of days… And I may have overdone it. A bit of dysentery never killed anyone, did it?" Something about that last line didn't sit right with Jake… but he let it slide, thinking that he should at least give the benefit of the doubt to the pokémon who'd saved him.

"A bit of a severe punishment, don't you think? That pokémon will be in pain for a long time… you have severely affected his lifespan too, and might end a premature death… if not at the hands of your position, the damage may have harmed him irreparably. Would you be willing to get his blood in your hands?" Once again, silence lingered in the room, until Vincent got up.

"I think this conversation has gone on for a bit too long… why talk about defecation and illness, when just outside, everyone is having a grand old time. But I will spoil you, if you desperately want me to: he won't die. Medicine in Cunabula is far too advanced for that, and… consider this: hadn't I done that, and remained still like the rest of you lot… that pokémon might've been fired, thrown into the street along with his family and then recruited by the pokémon we just fought. So at the end of the day… who knows? Maybe I saved more lives than you can imagine by harming someone. Oh, and speaking of those pokémon, the brothers are fine as well, if you're even slightly concerned about them, and the authorities will come grab them shortly… so please, do your best to appear presentable." He placed the chair back where he'd found it and walked to the door, waving at Jake with his hand. "Oh, and I insist, do join us. The food your Zorua friend has prepared along with the pokémon of Akil is simply to **die** for." His remarking of the word "die" made Jake uncomfortable, but the Roselia, without looking at him, knew this and chuckled. "I jest I jest… Now, ta-ta!" And with that, he left the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hall as he disappeared from view.

Jake didn't waste any time getting up and checking his balance and other limbs. Everything seemed in order, and if he had been operated on Vincent had made sure that they didn't leave any signs of the incision, asides from the mild discomfort from the bandages, which he deduced were there to protect some lighter wounds that would heal quickly enough under normal care. Jake slowly made his way out of his room and retraced the grass type's footsteps, reaching for the main door of the building and walking out.

The first thing he noticed was the lovely, warm scent of food being prepared just over to his left, fireplaces and brewing pots steaming with soups and stews with opened up his appetite, roasted berries, vegetables and many more dishes being prepared over those fireplaces, which managed to stay alit even with the cold temperatures. Speaking of which, raising a hand up to the air, he confirmed that the wind was calm, gently blowing past them and bringing a comfortable chill with it, which was easily mitigated by the fire. He could see some familiar pokémon around the biggest fireplace: Eric and Nox were sitting in front of each other, staring the other down as they ingested copious amounts of food, in the midst of a heated competition it seemed.

Elly and Zed were cooking and helping give out food to everyone who asked for seconds or more, and right besides them Lucy languidly sipped at her soup, deep in thought, though every so often the aforementioned duo would approach her and manage to steal a smile or chuckle from the Shinx, though she'd fall back into her serenity right afterwards. He'd never seen her like this, and knew that whatever was keeping her restless wouldn't leave anytime soon. As for the other two…

" **Drink drink drink drink drink!** " It seemed that Vincent had wasted no time in rejoining Serge and Leon in their own little competition: massive jugs of what seemed to be Ale were raised above their mouths as they drank their contents in one fell swoop in rapid succession. One… two… three… he counted them as they breezed through, and while Leon and Serge looked mildly intoxicated, Vincent seemed to be holding his alcohol just fine, even laughing and poking fun at his rivals.

"Well now! Serge, I'd thought you said you were a brave bird….

"Ssshhhhhhut up ye! I'm gonna do somethin' elsssshe with ya at this rate… And lemme tell ya it also ends with… Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuckkkkkkk." He almost passed out, toppling backwards and onto the snow, but recovering just in the nick of time, while Leon seemed to be deep in thought, trying to keep his wits about him. The scene was rather amusing, and Serge's rather childish sense of humor only added to it. As he'd been asked by Vincent, who'd probably relayed the message from the others, he joined in, walking towards the group with a smile.

Eric was the first to notice him, interrupting his challenge for a bit and calling him over, alerting the others to his presence. "There he is! Come on, join in Jake!"

"Yeah, join in before these two gluttons eat everything." Elly quickly served the ice type a big, warm plate of soup, her words making the Riolu roll his eyes and return to eating.

"Hey, we did a lot of stuff yesterday, we deserve this!" With all the food in his mouth, Nox's words came out as incomprehensible muffles, and had to repeat himself after swallowing.

"We all did a lot of stuff… heck, Zed's back was basically skinned!" Zed trembled as Elly mentioned this, trying to forget the excruciating amount of pain had knocked his senses out during that whole event. Seeing this, Elly decided to change the topic and gave another bowl of food just so he'd shut up.

"Wouldn't by that logic, mean that all of the food in this place is mine? After all, it was I who dealt the finishing blow to the beast." The fire type rose an eyebrow at Jake's comment, and Elly saw a perfect opportunity to tease the Houndour.

"You know what? No, he's right!" As she did this, Elly took her plate right from his claws, placing it down right besides Jake, which annoyed the Houndour.

"Come on, I'm gonna lose! I'm already a plate behind!" Nox eyed the Riolu in front of him, who was just straight up drinking from his plate, much to Elly's dismay, who hit the back of his head lightly.

"Well, I'd rather have someone in this team act like a civilized pokémon than watching my mate eat like he's a cub." The Riolu simply groaned and decided to stop after that one… he was already pretty full too, and the last thing he wanted was to get sick… like Serge was. As they all ate, laughed and even sang together, Jake realized something as he caught himself humming along their tunes for their rather unruly songs: beforehand, doing all of these things really brought no satisfaction to him, it was simple social interaction but… now he did feel a strange warmth, and that in it of itself make his chuckle, his mood improving exponentially as he started fully singing alone, Serge's drunken screeching overshadowing essentially everyone else as he held Eric and Vincent's shoulders besides him, the trio swinging back in forth with the tune. Elly was actually attempting to bring her best, her singing voice proving to be very soothing… unlike Lucy's, who was essentially repeating the lyrics along with no real effort, with Zed shying away from the action.

Time went on, and the food soon vanished, and as the party died down the team sat around one of the fireplaces, simply staring at the fire in silence, sometimes fidgeting with the dirt underneath them or the snow, nuzzling their significant other or chuckling to themselves, remembering some funny joke or too drunk to even understand what was happening. "Well… I'd say this was a job well done everyone." Eric spoke up, earning nods and hums of agreement. Since they were in a safe spot, he felt it appropriate to congratulate his companions for what they'd done the day prior, something that impacted the Sneasel: he'd really been asleep for a whole day.

They fell silent again, sleep winning over their senses as the night's exhaustion and food got to them… but still, they were in for a couple more surprises, the first of which caught them right as they got up. Nox looked at the sky and exclaimed in awe, drawing the others to look up as well. Above them, waves of light shifted and gently swayed around, illuminating the sky. Green, purple, blue, all the colors mixed and matched around, transitioning and moving as the vapid mass, akin to that of a specter, loomed in the sky, veiling the stars.

"The Northern Lights… I'd read of them in books, but I would've never thought I'd get to see them in person…" Jake muttered to himself as the group stared on, enthralled by the spectacle. Even Serge, in his drunken stupor, was looking at them, lost in their gentle cold glow, and besides him Vincent was simply enjoying the spectacle, finding the view to be relaxing and soothing. As the colors changed to purple, a warm orange overthrew the blue with hints of a greenish yellow tainting it, making it look like the sun was raising… which it wasn't. A single, sly paw snuck to Elly's side, and she grasped her mate's as they looked up along with their friends, all of them united under the same blanket of light.

This moment of peace and serenity didn't last long, unfortunately, as shouts and the sound of names being called were heard behind them. Zed was the first to turn around, slightly self-conscious… And called his friend's attention as he looked at a group of pokémon, all veiled in white cloaks with golden stripes carrying away a duo of Ninetales that were all too familiar.

"The Judges!?" Eric and Elly were the first to break out of the group, concern spreading across the group as they also approached, Serge somehow fighting against his drunken haze and chasing after them, his feet getting tangled together and tripping up on nothing.

"Hey!" Eric's voice stopped the cloaked pokémon's actions, all of them turning to face the group. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! Those are our marks!" His irate face was enough of a deterrent to make them back away, or it might have been Elly, who stepped up besides him and stared down the pokémon as well.

"We have become here sent by the Cunabulanian government. Word of a special ETF expedition to solvent the situation reached the ears of the Council, and we were dispatched to sort out the issue." A voice that rang familiar to Elly came out from one of the cloaked pokémon, and she guessed it must've been that Gallade that had interrogated her, Martin. Besides him however, a new, bigger figure stood, his cloak much more decorated with stripes and even what seemed to be precious jewels: a sapphire and a ruby on the left side of the coat, an emerald and an amethyst on the right, and a topaz acting as a form of brooch on the chest, all of them arranged around what in mythos was called the emblem of Arceus: an x with two middle circles on both sides and a smaller circle in the middle, the lines spreading from the X reaching to the back and making intricate patterns that contrasted against the pure white of the coat itself, purer than the snow the figure stood on.

"Oh, really now?! Well… you got here a bit late I think! Fun's already over, and had you gotten here a bit sooner you could've done something to help!" Elly, as always, was critical of the religious followers. "Then again… knowing you, I'm sure you would've never come here hadn't we done so in the first place. You're just here to pick up the scraps and get the merit, aren't you?!"

"Hmph, I should've expected such foolishness out of the mouth of some two bit explorer… but from one the leaders of team Star! Your words wound me, Elizabeth!"

"Cut the crap Martin, I know it's you under that cloak! Let the Ninetales go: we'll be the one turning them in, or else they will never be seen or heard of ever again."

"And if we don't?" The Gallade teased the Eevee, and she could sense that he was smiling underneath that stupid hood, taking a single step forward… but the well decorated cloak stopped the Gallade, raising an arm slowly. Immediately, the psychic type stopped, and with its other free hand, it snapped its claws and the group dispersed from around the Ninetales.

"They are yours, if you want them. I am afraid that we should've specified who our target was in the first place." A deep, soothing voice came from the cloak, one that none of the present could recognize, and with an accent that was impossible to pinpoint and attach to any region. The figure took a few steps forward and then pointed at Elly. "Seize her."

"What?!" In the blink of an eye, they were on top of her, a collar that inhibited her psychic powers quickly placed around her neck, and she instinctively reached for her magic and attempted to smash the attackers away with it…

"Don't. Should you attack any of us your sentence shall be aggravated." Even with what was happening before him, the cloaked figure seemed impassive and calm, the opposite of Team Star, who seemed just about to jump them too. "The same goes for all of you… should you attempt anything she shall be the one to suffer."

"You fuckers! Let her go damn it, she's an explorer! You have no right t-"

"No right…" The cloaked figure cut the Riolu off, chuckling as he took a few steps forward. "We do, in fact, have a right, Eric… A right to keep the pokémon of this world safe from the clutches of terrorists and others that may want to continue the legacy of Blake. And who, I ask, would be more fit to do that… than his own daughter?" A chill went down their spines as Elly immediately reached for her powers, throwing all caution away and smashing the judges away, one of them receiving the blunt of a black fist, whilst she hit the other with the back of it, managing to free herself whilst Eric summoned an aura sphere, aiming it at the cloaked figure…

That was no longer there.

Moving with speed and precision unnatural to its stature, the figure rushed to the Eevee and met her black fist with its own… both clashed, much to her shock, and then a wave of purple energy that Eric recognized overcame and crashed against the fist, shattering the black matter and allowing the pokémon to grab the Eevee's neck and lift her up above him. With nothing left to do, she dangled in his grasp, completely at his mercy. Eric shouted in anger and rushed in to help her, holding the aura in his paw… only for more of the mysterious attacker to shoot outward, screeching and scratching noises coming from his arm… until the aura shot out to cover the entirety of the group, carrying with it a deafening screeching noise that made them all bend forward in pain, shattering and breaking the crystals around them and immobilizing the group.

As the noise died down, they all looked at the pokémon, who stared them down "Now… what did I just say?"

"That… that was… that was aura just now! What… how did you do that?! Who are you?!" Eric inquired, his ears still ringing from the attack. The pokémon chuckled and reached for the hood… pulling it back and revealing a long gray snout, scales hanging from the sides of his head like lentils as he reached to the back of his head and took his scale mane from inside the cloak, falling behind him. A Kommo-O. One that looked exactly like the ice statue the Rebscura had made.

"My name, is Tharmius Wiremu Paora the 3rd , Supreme Judge of Arceus, true carrier of his will and leader of the Judges of Arceus." The massive pokémon announced himself, much to their shock, but at that point Eric couldn't care less about who he was and what his title were… he wanted to free Elly, and that was what he intended to do, rushing towards Tharmius again… "Do so and I shall snap her neck where I stand." It was only then when Eric saw that Elly was struggling to breathe, unable to concentrate enough to even call back her black craft, and the others behind Eric seemed about ready to fight and take her back… but scared that the dragon type's worse weren't empty, he called them to stand down, and so they did, much to their dismay. "Good."

"You bastard… What do you want from her?!"

"Didn't I just explain myself? Elizabeth Star has been found suspicious of being the daughter of Blake Dugald and the leader of the terrorist group responsible for the attacks on terror in Flumerc Ars." Once again, that cold sweat that had overcome the group washed over them again, the grip on Elly's neck never tightening, not even to let her take in a proper breath. "Given your transgressions and crime of attacking two Judges, we would normally have every right to apprehend all of you and execute Miss Elizabeth on the spot… but given the charges placed against her, I defend that a trial is in order."

"A trial?! Under your jurisdiction?!" Jake's inquiry was me with an intense glare from Tharmius, making his body involuntarily tremble as his red eyes sized the wounded Sneasel down.

"Yes, a trial… it is only fair that she is found guilty or innocent of this heinous crime before the eyes of Cunabula's people and the eyes of the lord in the sacred courts of law. We are fair and kind, even against those that defy the lord's law." Eric took a single step forward, a burning desire to smash his muzzle in overcoming the fighting type… but doing that would only worsen the situation.

"How did you get the power to do any this?! Who authorized you?!"

"The people of this world did. All of them, they are afraid… scared of this little Eevee, fearing that at any point she may strike the city they live in and kill any of their loved ones! The majority of the Cunabulanian Council has given us permission to apprehend anyone who has been found guilty or suspicious of the aforementioned charges… and that includes explorers, who are usually protected by the ETF."

"That's insane! You can't go around stopping and locking up anyone you want!" Nox spoke up for the first time in the whole interaction, and even when Tharmius looked at him, he stood his ground, growling.

"It is the will of the people… and that is what we shall carry out. If you have any complaints… then perhaps you should hurry and find your contacts in the ETF. We will be taking her with us… and in exchange you can keep the Ninetales. Do what you will with them." He finally released his grip on Elly's neck, dropping her to the ground and making her cough up and she breathed in, trying to reach for her mate… only for her paws to be bound by what appeared to be metal shackles, one of the judges tying a similar metal chain around her neck and yanking her back violently.

"Elly!" He tried to reach for her again, but Tharmius quickly turned around and stomped the ground, which trembled underneath him. "Fool… You still do not understand who it is you're defying, do you? The ETF, explorers, rescuers and your lot… you're all obsolete. The people have seen through your gise, through the corruption of your ideals, and have decided that we, the Judges, should be the ones to take your place! So be humble, for you stand before the pokémon that shall lead this world to a brighter future, where the criminals you play catch with shall be jailed and buried underneath the earth, where that scum belongs." And with that, Tharmius turned around and threw his hood up again, his tail hidden underneath the long draping cloth behind him as they took the Eevee away, crying tears of impotence and rage.

Eric didn't waste a single moment. "Don't go too far ahead!" The Riolu shouted, his expression serene, while hiding hints of anger. Once again, Tharmius turned his head to look at him, a smile on his face, as he knew exactly what the fighting type was going to say, voicing the thoughts of the rest of his team.

"We'll be tagging along… To Cunabula. To defend my mate."

* * *

 **Out of the frying pan, and into the fire! Seems like they just can't catch a break can they? From cliffhanger to cliffhanger, and I am probably going to lose my head in the reviews today! So you guys have fun… losing your minds over this! As I said up, you're free to review and say hi or ask if something's making you confused, I'll answer all reviews!**

 **And with that, I'll see you all next time! Take care!**


	8. Chapter 5 - The High Judge

**I LIIIVE**

 **No seriously, screw this chapter. This took waaaaaaay too long for me to finish and write. There is one scene in this chapter that took SEVERAL rewrites and like two weeks of research and testing and checking to see if everything made sense. And even then I'm positive it's trash, but honestly, I'd rather just give you guys the best I can without lengthening the wait any longer. So here ya go!**

 **On another note, another reason this took so long to come out was life, which is going great, and also a project that I have called "The AHR restoration project" in the which I intend to go back and fix stuff in the first part such as those stupid hyphens, separation of the dialogues and general grammar mistakes. No promises, as it won't be perfect… but it'll make it readable.**

 **Now, reviews!**

 **PMD9854: Vincent is an interesting character. I am glad to see that I achieved what I wanted with him though: he isn't someone you're supposed to like right off the get-go, he doesn't come off like that, but you can still see him as a useful addition and good guy.**

 **WesternFail: Oh boy, you're in for a ride if it was too late for you back then. The fight scene last chapter I was pretty happy with, specially the second one. I needed to give Jake just a bit more screen time, and I think that moment highlights how he has as much of a penchant for style as the others.**

 **And yes, let me make a reference here: WHO SHALL JUDGE**

 **THE JUDGES**

…

 **Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 5**

 **The High Judge**

 _ **Guilty until proven innocent before the eyes of the lord**_

"Name, age and sex."

"Elizabeth Star. 21 years. Female"

"Occupation."

"Explorer."

"Team and position."

"Team Star. Co-Founder and Co-Leader."

"Family and close relatives?"

"Mr. Keck, sole owner of the Keck & Leon Ultramarines shop in Treasure Town. Foster parent, single. Mr. Leon, former co-owner of Keck & Leon Ultramarines, deceased during the attack on the 5th of March of the year 1356 of the Checkered Era. No brothers or sisters to account for. Biological family was dead before I knew them. Keck remembers only finding a cub at his doorstep. Eric Star is my mate and co-leader of Team Star. No children." There was no joy in Elly's voice, nor any spite. She tried to come off as dry and clear as possible, knowing that any emotional excess would potentially work against her, even if she was lying and putting others at risk.

"Any diseases or allergies?"

"None that I know of." The pokémon interrogating her let out a long sigh, as they'd finally reached the end of the questioning, after a whole two hours of what was mostly information they already had.

"Right… Well, allow me to read your rights and the charges put against you.: You have been accused of being the leader of a criminal terrorist group, meddling with political and public affairs while acting under the guise of an officer of the law, siblicide, parricide, the deaths of the victims of the 5th of June in Flumerc Ars, and the indoctrination and brainwashing of the youths of Hoenn, Unova and Sinnoh. How do you plead to these charges?" Elly bit her lip, closing her eyes.

"Does it really matter what I say at this point?"

"Anything you declare will be used in a court of law overseen by the high judge himself, and both a civil and special jury have been assembled for this case, the latter specifically composed of district judges." The Magnemite speaking with her wasn't even looking at her half of the time, reciting their pre-made speech and writing down the necessary information.

She let out a sigh. "Then I plead not guilty."

"Very well. From today onward until new developments in tomorrow's trial, you are to be incarcerated and locked away in the Cunabulanian Prison. Your explorers badge and possessions have been confiscated, and the ETF has removed all rights and benefits associated with being part of an explorer's team. Should you be found innocent at the end of this trial, your possessions and badge, as well as your rank shall be returned with prejudice." The removal of her badge and the subsequent removal from her team… was a low blow for the Eevee, who bent forward trying to hide her face in shame from the impassive magnemite in front of her. "Do you understand?" Elly nodded. "You have the right to a lawyer, be it a district attorney or a private one, and you are permitted one visit from said lawyer and one visit from close friends and relatives." She nodded again. "Any further questions?" She shook her head. "You may now rise and come with me."

She got up on weak knees, her fur a mess for having been dragged and treated like a dog the whole way from Akil to Cunabula. That had been four hours ago now, and even after she received a cold shower to clean off the road's dirt, she felt exhausted and dirty, her fur smelling like the stagnated air in those claustrophobic hallways, which already reeked of filth and pain. She was lead out of the interrogation area and lead towards the cells. Most were quiet, filled with pokémon in similar situations; but she wasn't going to be staying with those "low profile criminals," as the Judges called the innocents they locked up… she was sent higher up, to where the more dangerous criminals were, and it was then things quickly devolved.

"Look everyone! There's a new bitch in the block!"

"Oooh I'm gonna lick that tail of yours!"

"Those ears… mine! I want them! Give them to me!"

"Quiet! She's mine! She's mine to touch and grab, mine alone!"

The voice, the insults and the sultry comments rained down from all around her, being thrusted into the depths of a world she'd never had to see like this. And the worst part was that she knew some of the pokémon: her team had been the ones to put them in there. Most mocked her with words and shouts, laughing and smashing against their bars as a blind rage overtook them, while some simply stayed silent, smiling form their dank cells, their eyes full of evil intentions, a hint of fear and contempt for the once good doing Eevee.

Just the sight made her tremble as she hurried behind the pokémon leading her down those barred hallways, some lunging to the bars and grasping at her fur and tail, one of them managing to yank her closer and attempting to sneak his grimy hand… He was promptly shocked into submission, but the Eevee had already had enough. Hiding her disgust behind a blank, brave face, she walked into her cell, placing her back against the wall immediately and looking at the Magnemite that had lead her there. He didn't have anything for her, not even some words of encouragement or relief, a wink or a smile… just the face of someone who'd seen this scene too many times, who was exhausted and tired, and to whom her fate or wellbeing didn't matter a single thing. The cell was locked behind her, leaving her stranded in that minuscule cell with a miserable and damp bed, a bucket of murky water and a hole in the floor, as more than indecent comments rained down from all around the hall, threatening to do horrible things to her. All of this, in addition to that asphyxiating collar holding her psychic powers back still around her neck proved to be just too much for her.

She couldn't help herself and broke down into tears. They'd taken absolutely everything from her: her powers were being held back because of that collar literally strangling her, her title and dream of being an explorer was now demolished, her freedom was no more, and she was being bombarded with the words of the lowest of the low… where she now apparently belonged. She sobbed and cried our sheer frustration and shame, with no rage in her whines, eliciting laughter and sultry moans from the pokémon in the other cells, sobbing softly as she took the few short breaths she was allowed due to the collar, attempting to enjoy the rancid air around her, wondering just what they'd done wrong to let things end up like this.

* * *

"How did you let this happen?!" Eric had done nothing but shout at Ferrus the moment they'd reached his apartment in Cunabula. They'd been there for four hours, and he was well aware that already Elly was going through hell in that prison, whatever it was they were doing to her in there. Even if they were treating her decently, the fact he couldn't sense her in his mind was already stressing him. The single room flat was claustrophobically small, with a window plastered and covered in thin layers of papers and notes, giving the room a yellowish hue that sickened even Vincent, who was mostly accustomed to these types of unhealthy environments. The scent of smoke and tobacco was stuck on every single inch of furniture in there, and the air smelled as if it'd been weeks since either the door or the window had been opened. The desk in the middle of the room was a complete and utter mess, the bin besides it overfilled with balls and scraps of paper, which also populated the desk itself, along with an intimidating pile of papers and books the Lucario was forced to read due to work.

The fighting type was just sitting in his chair facing the group besides him, deep in thought. His eyes were strained with large bags under his eyes from over exerting himself so much, looking as if he was about to fall asleep at any time, his fur looking much greyer and withered than back when they'd first seen him. "How did they get so much power to begin with?! Hasn't anyone stepped up to deny their every wish or is everyone just letting Tharmius step all over them?!"

"It's not that simple, Eric. Tharmius and his Judges have been getting more and more popularity among the people, and that in turn affects the opinions of the senators elected, which influences the decisions of the council. The ETF has special representatives, but I'm not without my critics and dissidents in my own organization." He looks at Eric. "Don't look at me as if I'm guilty… I've done all in my power to mitigate and neutralize the Judges' powers and control… But you already know why that isn't proving as effective anymore."

They all stayed silent for a bit: during their absence, several factors and events had all coincided, and they weren't able to respond properly. Among them were some events that had garnered the attention of the public, like the disappearance of pokémon throughout the world and tensions between regressive primals and survivors of the time freeze. On top of that, the rise of criminals impersonating as exploration teams and other dubious practices with the consent of the ETF itself swayed the public opinion away from the organization. This had, in turn forced it to be far more strict with allowing exploration teams to even exist in the first place: no criminal records, no altercations, higher grades and better results, psychological tests and the such. Many teams that might have once been honest do-gooders were disbanded because of those new regulations; some retired after they saw the new measures approaching, and the few remaining teams found themselves stuck with too much work.

In the midst of all that, terrorists attacked Flumerc Ars. Hundreds were killed, thousands more were wounded, and the ETF couldn't do anything but send a few teams to try and mitigate the damage, as they couldn't even send their ace teams who were either too busy with other important classified missions or absent, like Team Star had been. Ferrus summarized all this, staring at the ground as he retold information the rest already knew first hand. "The result? People lost faith in the ETF and looked for something else, something that would punish those that had attacked the innocent and would strike them down brutally and efficiently. Something that would make an example of them… and that's when the Judges resurfaced."

"Resurfaced… Alakard said something like that when we brought this up with him." Serge looked at the Lucario. "You got something to tell us?"

"Not much that you may not already know: The Judges are just a more radical branch of the Church of Arceus, but unlike sects like Orphanism, these guys were part of the inner circles and acted as law enforcement in Johto until about twenty years ago. You might have known them for another name however: The Aura Knights." Eric's eyes widened; Ferrus traded a look of concern with him.

"You mean…"

"Yeah, I mean just that. I'd like to believe that whole development had nothing to do with what's happening now but… after that event, there was a disagreement between the Patriarch and the High Judge himself that escalated to conflict and ended their relationship. Nobody knows what it is that the High Judge did or what sparked the whole conflict, even if we have our suspicions and doubts… it's all a highly secretive matter within the church itself. Soon thereafter, news of a religious extremist group attacking in certain key points across the globe quickly garnered the public eye. At least two of those attacks reached our ears once the ETF was founded, though by then the cases had been archived: one in Hoenn, which ended with the destruction of an entire village and the death of its inhabitants; and another far from here in Western Johto, called Shimizu Village. It was partly destroyed and they suffered heavy casualties, but were able to fight back the invasion."

"And what you're saying is…"

"Yes, Jake. It's a bit interesting that the branch that had once been known as 'The Sword of the Lord' separated themselves from the church, and in that short span of time, two very distinct areas were stricken with the same tactics and ruthlessness that the Aura Knights were known to exercise during the times of war between the two regions." At the mention of an attack in Hoenn, Nox paled. The possibility of the Judges being behind those events was high, and with a renewed vigor he quickly recomposed himself.

"So then what are we waiting for?! We can pin those two on them and lock up the bastards!" He declared, a certain impulsiveness in. Jake however, had already predicted what Ferrus was going to say and answered for him.

"That would not work for two reasons: one, it has been almost twenty years. The statute of limitations on those cases has ran out, so it can't be brought to court; and two there is nothing linking the Judges to the attacks, and it would be nigh impossible to prove them if there was. All the evidence must've been carefully erased or hidden during these past few years."

"Exactly, and remember: those are the **only** attacks we know of. Whether or not there have been more and we're unaware of them is another matter entirely." Silence once again reigned over the group, though Eric was still fuming and grumbling to himself, swearing under his breath as his anger got the best of him, though it slowly devolved to him holding his head in his paws and sobbing quietly, holding back his cries of despair until he could no more.

"I can't believe this… I just… why is this happening to us? What is it that we've done that was so bad to deserve all of this happening to us? What is Elly guilty of?! Being that bastard's daughter?!" He gets back and starts pacing back and forth, anger mixing with his sorrow. "How does that determine who she is and what she'll do?! Aren't pokémon aware of the strife and sacrifice we had to go through to defeat Blake?! Have they honestly forgotten everything we've done for them?!" The sheer frustration in his voice was palpable, and none dared say anything… until Serge spoke up, if anything to stop Vincent from saying anything that might make the Riolu snap.

"Honestly? At this point it wouldn't surprise me if they've outright forgotten what it was that happened… our achievements meant very little when we were unable to prevent millions from dying or going insane during the time freeze. On top of that… people just literally couldn't give less a crap about us if we just up and vanished the following year. They were more worried about mourning the losses of their loved ones and rebuilding their lives than worrying about the group that had fixed the issue or cheering for Blake's death. And if you've never read a newspaper or been part of the the journalism sphere, then you probably wouldn't know this but… bad shit sells."

"People are more interested and read about bad things, like terrorist attacks, shiny racism, murders… anything except reading about the good things. It's just the way it's always been." Zed seemed to be familiar with what Serge was describing, his ears laying right against his head, looking absolutely devastated.

"Pretty much… people are more interested in knowing what could potentially harm them than what could protect them. Fear mongering, is what it's called." His words lingered above their heads for a bit, making them shift uncomfortably. "Kind of the reason why I'm no longer angry we aren't getting exposure. It's annoying, sure, but when you're going up against all of this shit it's just fucking impossible." His words didn't help improve the mood either, painting a depressing prospect for their friend.

"Alright, let's stop with both the swearing and the negativity. Sure it's all doom and gloom now but we've been through worse, right? We just came back from kicking some Rebscura ass people! We just gotta find a fawyer and…"

"Lawyers, Nox, they are called lawyers. And as shocking as this may sound, I agree with him, we cannot let these circumstances defeat us. While the situation certainly looks desperate, there is still room for us to make our move and counter their arguments: we must find a lawyer willing to defend Elly post haste, build a case and present in court tomorrow… and only when she is out of danger will be able to breathe and relax."

Eric stood up and looked at everyone else in the room, getting teary eyed. "Please, I… I won't ask this of you as your leader, but instead as a friend: please, help me save Elly's life from these… these monsters." His request was met with a solemn silence, all of his team mates looking straight into his eyes as he babbled something else about finding evidence and defending her.

Zed was the first one to walk up to him and hug the Riolu, comforting him as he returned the affection, closing his eyes and keeping those tears back, putting on his strongest face for the rest of his team. Serge smiled and joined them, pulling the two into a wide hug with his wings, pulling Nox and Jake closer as they approached. Lucy was the last one to join them, and did so reluctantly. Vincent of course, kept to himself in the corner, looking away from the scene, but stealing some glances at the group, a look of concern on his face, while Ferrus remained stoic in his place.

"The ETF investigated all of the cases related to Blake's murders and assassinations." He turned to his desk and swapped some papers around, searching for something. "If they've pinned something along those lines on her, we can counter those arguments reliably." Ferrus' reminder was his own personal way of comforting Eric, and it certainly helped to hear that some of the potential charges could be lifted. "But even then, that leaves us with what's probably going to be the biggest accusation of them all: her relationship with Blake and the terrorists. And no, I don't think 'we were stuck in a different world' will do much beyond them asking for some hard evidence of this fact." Nox muttered some swears under his breath, getting shut down before he even got a chance to shine. "As far as I know, you never did bring back anything with you, right?" They all shook their heads in unison.

"I mean… the only option would be getting a hold of Palkia and having him testify… but that's just wishful thinking really." Serge's comment made Ferrus shut his eyes and meditate his words, but eventually came forth and dashed the Pidgeot's hopes.

"And even then, I believe it would be impossible for Palkia, Dialga… or any legendary for that matter, to come and defend Elly. There are more pressing matters taking up their time as we speak."

"More pressing matters than saving the pokémon who helped restore the balance of time?! So much for being the heroes of time and recognizing our worth?!"

"They're legendaries Eric, I don't know what you were expecting when Dialga told you that… they're too busy looking down at us from their shining thrones of awesome powers to even consider saving our asses… I mean most of them are, anyways." Serge was forced to rectify himself due to the stern glares the other gave him.

"It better be a damn good reason then." Eric's anger was palpable in the tone of his voice, but the Lucario reassured him that it was a crucial matter. "So then you **do** know what it is?"

His inquiry made the taller Jackal look away, not even answering the question with his eyes. "I'm afraid that's confidential. In due time, and if the situation grows too desperate, I'll tell you… but for now we have more pressing matters. And their business is of no relevance to this case for the time being." His answer was short and to the point, which disappointed Eric.

The Riolu sighed and looked at everyone else. "Well… thanks for helping me with this guys. I think we should go see Elly, they're probably done with the interrogation by now."

"I'll contact the best lawyers available and give them the information we have about the case. It should be the easy to get a hand of one of them." With everything said and done, Team Star wished good luck to Ferrus, he did the same with a nod of his head and they left the room. The last pokémon to head out though, was Vincent, who remained where he stood, shaking his head.

"It won't work." His remark didn't surprise Ferrus in the slightest however.

"We won't know until we try."

"Drop the act, Ferrus dear, you know why it won't work." The Lucario looked up at the grass type, who was frowning. "You honestly think the Judges are going to let their prize go so easily? That some measly evidence will stop their 'divine justice'? You know better than that Ferrus, and while I do agree that there is hope for poor Elly… I don't particularly agree with giving them false hopes like th-"

"Leave." He suddenly cut him short. "I know what you are, and what you want… you already took enough last time we spoke. What I promised you will be given to you in due time, so…" The sound of the grass type chuckling rang in his ears.

"You really did get the wrong impression of me, didn't you? I wasn't really going t-"

"You are a spy. You sneak into high spheres of society, syphon intelligence and information and then sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for riches or properties. We've been following your activities for a while, but didn't have anything conclusive on you, nor your species or name." Vincent's eyes widened for just a split second, briefly shocked by this sudden turn of affairs as he met Ferrus' own… though his smile quickly returned to his face.

"Whoopsie. You caught me then. Congratulations!" He clapped sarcastically. "Unfortunately I'm not shaking where I stand because even with you having all of that information on me… I still have something over you, and you know exactly what it is."

"Oh? Then please, enlighten me, if that's the case." Vincent struck a pose, placing his hands on his hips and smiling as he paced back and forth.

"Sure, you might know that I came here to gather information… but you probably don't know who my targets were! Yes, I said targets, because I usually strike against several of them… I will be honest here though, one of them was you and… Oh man, you are one tough cookie to crack. I've snooped and stolen all I could find, and even here I tried to find even a family portrait… but nope, not even an ounce of evidence. All went up in flames… like that fire in South Kanto 15 years ago…" Ferrus visibly tensed up and looked at the grass type, who laughed again. "Relax, that was all I could find on you. Not even who your lovely wife was, or if you had any sons. But anyways, I digress: I also came here to find some information on some corrupt politicians, because I **love** sticking it to the reach… metaphorically and physically speaking." He winked.

"If you're going to continue beating around the bush then I suggest you leave, Vincent. And no matter what you tell me, I won't request the services of the likes of you while I still have better options… options that won't twist my arms and blackmail me into submission." The Roselia rose his arms and stepped backwards and out the door.

"Fine then. I'll leave ya be for now, you win. I'll come back later to check if you've changed your mind… you probably will have. Toodles!" And with that, he closed the door behind him and left the room, leaving the Lucario to ponder and fiddle with some more files and papers. Once he found the addresses and all he needed to make the case, he grabbed the documents and left his room as well, leaving everything else to rot amidst the scent of rotting paper.

* * *

Elly sat in a corner of the room, keeping away from the hole, the bucket and the bed which she was sure were ripe with infection, and the last thing she needed was to catch something lethal in that hell hole. She was in luck that she'd eaten as much as she did the night prior though, because she wasn't growing hungry… albeit that was leading to other necessities that the hole in floor wasn't going to fulfill anytime soon. She snapped out of her thoughts however, as the sudden noise of a steel door opening and closing echoed in the halls. The sound caused an uproar as the locked up pokémon started shouting and screaming at whoever had just walked in...

" **Silence!** " A wave of heat washed over Elly, who was essentially at the opposite end of the hall, and the shouts were replaced by weak whimpers of fear. It warmed her up, and brought some slight comfort, albeit she quickly grew concerned about whoever it was that approached from the end of the hall in a quick jog. The sound of those metallic footsteps echoed closer and closer.. until the pokémon became fully visible to her. And what she saw surprised her: it was Alakard.

"Miss Elizabeth! There you are now!"

"Alakard? Wh-why are you here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing miss! Why are **you** here?! I heard you were out of Cunabula these past few days! Don't tell me they threw you in jail then and have kept it for themselves!" He stomped the ground, angry. "Oh when I get my hands on them… those Judges are going to get a piece of my mind alright!"

"No please, don't do that, its alr-"

"It's not alright!" He grabbed the bars of her cell and reached for the keys hanging from his waist. "Someone like you does not deserve to be in a place like this… and incarcerated all the way up here no less, like you're some sort of dangerous criminal! Oh they probably did it to keep you out of my sights… This just makes my blood **boil**!" He grabbed the keys and hastily fit them into the lock, freeing the Eevee and motioning him to accompany her. "Now, come along. We're going to g-"

"Alakard!" Another familiar voice called the Blaziken from the end of the hallway, and this time there were no jeers for him, only deafening silence. Elly looked at the source and found herself staring at none other than Martin, the Gallade that had interrogated her the other time they'd been there… and also the one who'd helped detain her and lock her up in that place. Her hatred for the psychic type had only gotten stronger since the first time they'd met in Treasure Town… but with Tharmius in the picture, she knew he was just some pawn underneath the Kommo-O. "What do you think you are doing here with that prisoner? I gave specific orders that you were to assist with handling the Smeargle case today!"

"Oh come now, you really thought I was going to be duped so easily, you worthless judge?! I knew you were about to no good when you suddenly told me to leave the building this morning, so I gave the case to some colleagues and stuck around… and who do I find but Elizabeth Star, locked in a dark cell and in less than adequate conditions for someone so admirable! You and your lot are beyond salvation!" When he finished his monologue he couldn't help but smile. "Heh… Salvation. That's a good one, eh?" He said this in such a low voice that only Elly could make sense of it. His little pun didn't amuse her, as she wasn't really in the mood for jokes.

"Admirable? Alakard, she's been charged with being the daughter of Blake Dugald." This revelation made the Blaziken turn to face Elly, his eyes wide as plates, then turned to face Martin again.

"Her? That monster's daughter?! You're off your rocker, what kind of ridiculous statement is that?!"

"We have evidence. I interrogated her a few days ago and she had some strange reactions that make a lot of sense if she's the one we've been looking for. Not only that, but we have witnesses that defend that during some of her confrontations with Blake she called him "father" or "dad"."

"Liar!" She suddenly snapped, taking a step forward. "I've had it up to here with you and your bluffs, you bastards! That monster wasn't my father, and even if he had been my parent... I would've **never** called him that!"

"It's your word against that of the lord, Elizabeth! If you dare defy us then that means you're already guilty! Those who fear us always hide something… and the scent of fear is all over your body!" The animosity between the two grew before Alakard stepped in between, wearing a smile.

"Alright alright, first of all… It's obvious that miss Elizabeth here is saying the truth. If those 'reactions' and some flimsy evidence is all you have against her, it'll be fairly easy for me to find the truth to this case. And as for having the scent of fear all over her… dude, did you like, smell her or something?" Laughter erupted from the pokémon in the cells, mocking the judge as he kicked the bars with rage and shouts, attempting to silence them. "Fucking creepy bastard, do you not know what personal space means?!"

Martin turned to face Alakard, absolutely livid, whilst the Blaziken had a triumphal smile on their face. "You've made your last mistake, detective… this criminal you're trying to escort out of her cell is the most dangerous pokémon to have walked this world after Blake!"

The fire type glanced down at Elly. "Well, if that's the case then an Igglypuff must be terrifying for you." If looks could kill, the Eevee would've ended Alakard's life right then and there with the glare she gave him. Though the insult had its desired effect on Martin, who fumed and swore under his breath, swearing he would regret this in an ominous tone… that the detective decided to ignore. "Well, you're certainly a celebrity among them. Dunno what it is you did to piss them off, but whatever it was… nice." The normal type was still giving him an unamused glared, and the convicts around them quieted down after the judge disappeared, making the situation awkward. "Oh don't give me that look, I didn't mean it. Anyways, let's go, your team's here to visit and check on ya."

Her ears perked up and she quickly followed behind the fire type, who made some small talk referring to the weather and what they'd been doing before getting there. "You know, just yesterday evening it snowed for the first time in like… ten years. Crazy stuff." Each and every one of his sentences was either med with a nod or a shake of her head, or nothing at all. "You know, I'm trying to make this whole thing easier on ya. I know that last time we talked we didn't end on…" He coughed, trying to come up with the appropriate word. "Greatest of terms, but I still believe in you and what your team is doing. Even if you don't exactly agree with my ideologies and beliefs, I'm not going to scorn you or blame you for not following them." He glanced at her, smiling warmly. "Least you could do is return the favour."

Elly looked at him and meditated his words, turning to face around her and at the pokémon locked up: the scene hadn't changed from three days ago, and she still found herself staring at sulking eyes and famelic faces, but she did spot more empty cells than earlier. She knew for a fact that there hadn't been any executions in the last few days, so those pokémon had probably been released… and from what she knew of the fire type in front of her, he probably was the one who contributed to it. "I'll think it over." Was her only response after a long silence, but that was enough for the Blaziken, who did a fist pump and smiled.

"Yes! Alright, we're almost there… Aaaand… here." He stopped in front of a wooden door, which he himself opened, and inside was a simple room with white walls, some comfy arm chairs and cushions and a central table. And sitting around said table were her companions, who wasted no time in meeting up with her just as she rushed in, the first to greet her obviously being Eric, who pulled her up into his arms, enveloped her in a loving embrace and kissed her, holding her like that for a bit. The others waited for their turn to either hug or greet the Eevee with smiles, and once Alakard saw that everything was out of the way, he cleared his throat. "Well, while you all spend the time you've got together, I'll be talking with some of the higher ups to work out Elly's situation. At the very least, I'll try to get her moved down to the lower cells, where conditions are better and she can spend a decent night's rest. And if you guys want me to, I can talk with a district attorney. He's a good friend of mine and has defended a lot of pokémon in her same position."

"Thank you, but I think the attorney won't be necessary, we already have someone else working on that." Eric explained.

"Aight then, so moving cells only, gotcha. And if something happens with that attorney, just gimme a call, aight? I'll come back in two hours to pick her up!" And with that, he closed the door and left the room, leaving the group to catch up on what they'd been doing ever since they'd parted. Elly retold her experiences with as much accuracy as she could, while the others explained what they'd done on their part, including the fate of the two Ninetales brothers.

"Special representatives are holding them safe and out of the Judge's hands, and are scheduled to be interrogated after your situation is sorted out. And as for Akil, Leon decided to follow us at the last second and came along to testify in your name and defend you." Jake avoided saying more details than was necessary, trying to make the most of their precious time.

"He is? That's… great, but I doubt that's gonna help me get out of this one scott free. They've pinned so much stuff on me, from Blake's own murders and massacres, including my own family's, to being the leader of the terrorists and using my job as an explorer to mask it." She looked at the ground, remembering the horrible indifference with which she'd been stripped of everything she had and was. "They took my badge and my explorer's rank too… so legally I'm no longer an explorer."

"They probably did that to discourage you emotionally. The more distressed you are when tomorrow's trial arrives, the better for them. Don't allow them to win using such underhanded tricks."

"Yeah I mean, as far as I know, they just took it away temporarily right? If you're found innocent, then they'll have to return it whether they like it or not. And then we can continue kicking some butt!" Nox was certainly eager to get to beating those pokémon to a pulp, a sentiment which, while everyone shared with him, they all knew very well that it'd only make the situation worse.

"That's probably what they want." Serge leaned forward in his armchair. "The issue with these fucks is that they move within the law. Notice how with all those charges they pinned on her, they didn't mention being Blake's daughter being a crime in it of itself."

"But they're going to bring it up in court anyways to try and sway public opinion in their favor. What a bunch of slimy bastards! That's manipulating pokémon to fulfill their own agenda!" Lucy pointed out what was painstakingly obvious to all at that point. "Oh that just…. Graaah!" She sparked in anger, hitting the table, absolutely livid. "Why are pokémon so fucking stupid?! Don't they realize that they're being played and used like tools?!"

"Probably, but one is either with the judges or against them. Their presence in Cunabula is the strongest out of any city in any region, and it shows in these very streets." Jake grabbed his bag and pulled out that morning's newspaper. "Crime rates in this city have plummeted ever since the judges came to this city, and many political schemes and corruption of the government have been uncovered through their investigations. At the same time, the presence of the Explorer Guilds here in Cunabula has steadily decreased at the same rate."

"So they're basically taking advantage of the ETF's weaknesses and using them to boost their popularity." Serge laid back again, closing his eyes. "Gotta give it to them, that's a terrific plan."

"And meanwhile Ferrus is just sitting with his arms crossed and watching how his life's work crumbles away." The Riolu simply couldn't overcome his frustrations with the Lucario, angered with how passive he was being. "Just what is it that's so important that letting the Judges trample over us explorers is a just price to pay?! It's like nobody cares about us anymore."

"Like we were just some one-use tissue that's already done its function and is no longer useful or exciting…" Zed's tone was incredibly somber, as his small allegory summarized what seemed like their situation. "Are we really just that to Ferrus and the rest of the world? Disposable? We risk our lives each day to defend their lives and well being, but having taken it all for granted…" He curled up into a ball. "Are they really just going to forget us like this?"

Silence was all the others could offer the Zorua to try and comfort him, because they didn't know the answer to that question either. As such, they remained quiet for a few minutes, during the which they either shifted positions around, uncomfortable in their spots, or fumbled around trying to do something to entertain themselves. Eventually however, Eric broke the silence with an exasperated sigh. "This can't go on like this." He simply stated, rising up. "Out of everyone here, I can understand best that we're all feeling depressed and down about all this, but we have to ask ourselves a question: why are we doing this?" They all looked at him, trying to search that answer for themselves, or keeping it hidden.

"I want to believe that we all became explorers for the same reason: that we all wanted to defend the weaker pokémon we came across, help those in need even if we never received much attention, and make the world a better place for those that live in it now and those that may come to it in the future." Nobody responded or made any intention of saying anything, and that massively discouraged the Riolu. "I want to believe that this… all of this, isn't just some big lie that we've all gotten wrapped up in. Some complicated web that we've entangled yourselves in and now you're unable to pull out because you're too scared to show your true colors."

"No, of course not!" Elly spoke up first, and soon after the others rose to defend themselves, explaining their own personal reason. "We might all have our reasons, but all of us here have the same goals, right? That's why we're a team and we've been able to survive for so long!" The others verbally agreed.

"You know what, for a second there, you sounded like Vincent." Lucy pointed out a fact that had eluded the rest, and that angered Eric when he realized she was right. "I think that grasshole is getting to you."

Her insult elicited laughter for the others. "Grasshole?! Holy crap that's a good one!" Serge praised her creativity as she got a few laughs out of the others, even Jake, as they all made fun of the pokémon who'd dared criticise them so harshly. "Speaking of that, where's the grasshole? He's been missing ever since we left Ferrus' pad." Eric laughed at the Pidgeot's inquiry.

"Couldn't care less about where he is… though with any luck, he's either left town or is just staying in his new house that he strong armed out of Ferrus."

"Oh fuck, yeah forgot about that… You know, before we leave town, I say we go throw some rotten eggs at his house."

"Rotten eg- Arceus, what are you, twelve?" Nox only received a slap to the back of the head from the Pidgeot

"Hey, don't trash on the classics man! It may be old and childish, but you know how annoying it is to get the smell outta the house? Trust me, I know that first wing!"

"Better than spoiled milk… Which I believe you also know first hand Serge." Zed's comment made him blush.

"We don't talk about that."

"About what?" The others got closer together to try and catch some more juicy details about the story, which the Zorua happily retold at length, getting some sweet sweet revenge on the flying type.

"Well, you guys remember a month ago Serge kept running back and forth between his room and the bathroom? Just that morning, he'd forgotten to take out the trash -as he usually does, mind you- and just happily waltzed into the kitchen while I was making breakfast, grabbed the first bottle of milk he found and chugged about a quarter of it before vomiting spectacularly and rushing to the bathroom. Never had I seen something so equal parts disgusting and majestic as a Pidgeot spraying white liquid from his beak." The final line made the others erupt with laughter, and the flying-normal type's blush only deepened.

"Well I mean, he **must** have had some practice with spitting out white stuff from his beak, now must he?" Lucy's comment only heightened the hilarity, albeit it took Zed, Jake and Elly a few seconds to catch before they too joined in, roaring out as Serge got up and tumble backwards, holding his chest and faking he'd been hit by a fatal attack.

"I'm wounded! I've been struck! Guh! I can't… How could you, Sparky! I've been utterly betrayed and defeated by the Shinx I once considered a friend!" He lay on the floor in front of the door, tilting his face towards them and letting his tongue fall out, feigning death. This whole sequence lasted for a couple seconds, during the which the others cried from laughter, the mood in the room has improved drastically, their previous conversation had been nearly forgotten, which made many relieved internally.

"Alright alright, get up you drama king, before s-" Elly was about to advise him to get up from the floor before someone saw him, but unfortunately the door swung open before the Pidgeot had a chance to get up. And standing in the doorway was Ferrus, wearing a face that nobody in the room liked.

"Ferrus? Wh- what's wrong? You don't look too good."

"Worse than you? For sure. I will never understand how you can be laughing like that when you are in such a bad spot." His words made Elly come back to the harsh reality of the situation, the veil in her mind being lifted incredibly quickly, all happiness and relief vanishing in what was the blink of an eye. "There's been a development: all of the lawyers in Cunabula are rejecting your case."

"They're **what**?!" Almost all of them asked the same question in unison, some with slight variations, forcing Ferrus to close the door behind him so as to avoid any prying ears from listening in.

"You heard me: they are all rejecting Elly's case, calling it a "lost cause". The evidence we've got to defend her is good, but the main charges, which I assumed were her connection to the terrorists and your absence during the whole year where their activities were at their peak are what they say is keeping them from taking the case." He walked over Serge, the Pidgeot getting up immediately afterwards and slammed a folder full of apology papers and half-baked explanations that basically left Elly to her fate.

"What?! But…" Eric and Elly scrambled to check the papers… and found just what the Lucario had told them. "No, that doesn't make any sense! If they can't prove that I wasn't here to save others the Judges can't prove that I wasn't here to save the terrorists!"

"But that is the issue: the Judges are saying, time and time again, they have eye witnesses to backup their claims."

"But that's false evidence, and in court that won't hold up too well. So what's up?" Serge's question lingered in the air for a bit, and Ferrus' silence was already pretty telling. The Pidgeot sighed and "...Knew it. The Judges moved first, didn't they?"

"Seems like they had this all planned out before you even got to Cunabula in the first place."

"So… someone really sold me out?" The threat of a mole or some kind of spy was now very real, and she glanced at her teammates, something that angered all of them.

"What's the big idea, eh? Think one of us would ever sell you out?!" Lucy got incredibly aggressive all of a sudden, and along with her Nox and Serge shot looks of reprobation at the Eevee as well, who quickly defended herself.

"No no no, it's just that just earlier…" There were too many things, too many questions left unanswered, too much silence after Eric had asked those critical questions… and yet what they'd answered afterwards made total sense, and she trusted them with all her heart.

"I don't believe blaming your direct teammates for this is a good idea Elly." Ferrus reminded her. "They are the closest friends you have right now, and the probability of them betraying you is infinitely low."

"Thank you!" Lucy retorted.

"But the fact someone told the Judges of Elly's heritage is undeniable." Jake's statement threw a wrench into anyone's thoughts: they all trusted each other enough to know that they'd never lie or blurt out a secret like that, and yet it had reached the Judge's ears somehow.

"I'd like to remind everyone here that you aren't the only ones who know of this: The guild in Treasure Town and some select few pokémon there know off the truth. I'm sure you can remember their names from the top of your head with ease: they are your friends, after all."

"Hold the fuck up just a sec!" Serge cut in the middle again What you're saying is that someone from Treasure Town blew the whistle? That makes even less sense, what do they gain from doing that?! We saved their lives and all that, after all, and we helped rebuild the town, so if anything they should be grateful!"

"You're asking me as if I knew the answer to those questions, which I clearly do not, Serge." He sighed and asked if he could sit down where Serge'd once been, who granted him permission. "Thank you, I have done nothing but run the entire morning." He collects his thoughts and continues. "I believe this'll be an issue you'll have to figure out yourselves once you return home… for now, we must find a solution to this new predicament. If Elly is lawyerless then that puts her at the complete and utter mercy of the Judges." They all fell silent for a bit and started thinking. Some would chime in every so often with an idea, only to get shut down by the rest with something that was sometimes incredibly obvious.

"Damn it, this is pissing me off! Can't we just beat those fuckers up?! They're asking for it already!" Lucy could barely control herself, and Nox right besides her was getting heated up as well, groaning and snarling as all of his many suggestions had been shut down. He felt useless, and hated it. What he didn't understand was that the feeling of uselessness was common with the rest: none of them could come up with anything remotely good to fight back against the Judges in the trial.

As their despair grew, someone knocked on the door, which swung open shortly after to reveal a smiling Alakard. "Hey you lot, guess whaaaaa…" He soon notices the gloomy looks on their faces. "Oh, I could've sworn I heard you all laughing earlier… Something wrong?"

"All of the lawyers in Cunabula have been blackmailed by the Judges and will not accept Elly's case." Alakard only noticed the Lucario's presence when he said this, and panicked.

"Woah wah ah!" He immediately stood straight and saluted the Lucario. "Ferrus sir! At your service!" He bowed forward so much they thought he was going to bend over and fall face first, but he immediately sprung back up.

"Acknowledged, detective, but please, let us skip the formalities. What is it that you want to tell us?" His tone becomes much more formal than before, and the fire type nods and shuts the door behind him before speaking.

"Well, I came here to inform miss Elizabeth that her new cell was ready. I managed to pull some strings and convinced them to move it to the lower floors, where conditions are better, and return with news about my lawyer friend: he is more than willing to take her case if she will permit him to do so. Taking into account what you just told me though… I believe that last bit of information's ideal?" Indeed, this bit of news cheered up the mood in the room considerably.

"Wait… are you serious?" Elly stared at the fire type, utterly dumbfounded at this new development along with the others.

"Yeah I mean… I've dealt with these guys for a while now, so I know they like to play dirty. Them trying to keep any other lawyers from defending their victims isn't actually that rare… never heard of every single lawyer in Cunabula selling out like this though… whatever it is you did miss Elizabeth to piss them off… nice!" He gave her a thumbs up. "Stick it to them! Also, quick question, can I call you miss Elly? I feel like I've said Elizabeth so many times I'm going to end up wearing it out!" He let out a hearty laugh, lightening the mood around him like he was some sort of good mood charm.

"Huh? O-oh, uuuh, yeah of course. But are you sure about your lawyer friend being able to defend me? If the judges have gone to such lengths to make sure I didn't get any help from private attorneys then..." She trailed off, her worries all but clear to the others.

"Don't worry about him or myself. I'm a single man, so the only thing I have going for me is my rank, and they know better than taking that away from me. As for my friend, being a district attorney he gets a few more bonuses to keep him safe, and doesn't have anything to lose either: Judges were the ones to take away his family, so this whole affair is quite personal, as you can imagine." They all nodded in silence, hearing of yet another person who'd lost it all because of the Judges, sympathizing with the pokémon. "Guy's name is Alex, he's a Servine, and he's got one hell of an eye for finding loopholes and small cracks in the Judge's arguments. He's always talking about the truth being the truth, hidden underneath lies, yadah yadah yadah… all that stuff they teach them at lawyer school."

"I know him. It wouldn't be the first time I have seen him in this very building, reading a book or conversing with some of the prisoners." Ferrus looked at Elly. "While I haven't heard about his skills as a lawyer, Alakard seems to have deposited a lot of faith on them."

Elly looked back and forth between the two pokémon, weighing her options while Eric waited patiently besides her. "Well? What are we going to do Elly?" The Eevee remained silent for a few more minutes… before sighing and looking at Alakard.

"Tell your friend that I accept him as my lawyer."

"Yep, will do! He'll come meet ya in your cell later so you can go over the case. Do you have some evidence for him?" Ferrus nodded and pointed at the stack of folders on the table, which not only contained the formal letters of "apology" the lawyers had given him, but also the mountain of proof that showed that Elly didn't commit most of those crimes… but didn't clear her of suspicion completely. The fire type eyed it and whistled in awe. "Aight… gonna have to tell the poor guy he ain't sleeping tonight." He grabbed it all with care and looked at Elly. "I think you should say goodbye to them too, the time of your visit is nearly up."

It was only when he said this that the group looked out the window: the sun was already setting outside. Their hearts sank when they realized the state they were leaving Elly in, but Alakard reassured all of them she'd be perfectly fine. One by one, they all hugged the Eevee, regardless of their relationship with her, wishing her the best and tightening her in their paws or feathers. The last one though, was Eric, who simply refused to let go. The others looked at the scene and Ferrus motioned at the others to walk out, give them some more time. "You have… roughly two minutes left."

"We'll spend up to the last second we can together." Was the only thing Elly answered without even turning to face the others. The two of them simply sat together, hugging closely until the sound of the door being locked reached their ears. They remained like that for a few more seconds before Eric visibly shook, tightening his grip around her, sobbing quietly.

"I almost broke face earlier. I'm supposed to be the leader of this team, show everyone that I can keep my cool in the worst situations and…" He sobbed softly into her fur collar while she returned the hug, kissing his forehead as he gently cried, tears coming from his eyes. "I'm terrified of tomorrow Elly, I can't bring myself to lie about it."

"I am too. I'm being put on the trial for the sins my father committed, and they really want to put an end to me… But I know it'll be alright." He looks up at her. She's also crying and shaking like a leaf, claws digging into his fur and body spasming with her sobs. "I want to believe that I won't be completely alone in there, facing this whole situation completely on my own. You will all be there, and I'm sure that there'll be good pokémon in the trial too. It'll be… fine." At this point they were unsure who it was she was trying to convince.

"After this we'll go home, and I'll make you breakfast…" He smiled melancholically. "I know you love it when I bring it to our bed. You'll be able to finish that book you left halfway through too, the one about the poor children and their education that you loved so much… And I'll love you, more than ever before, I'll love you every waking moment, every instant, every…" The door swung open and Alakard walked in, cutting them off and might've just been the most passionate moment. Still embracing each other, they closed their eyes and touched foreheads, sharing a passionate kiss, even if they were being watched by someone.

The moment was interrupted by the light reassuring tapping of a feathery hand on the Riolu's shoulder, who tried to shake it off… but even he knew that their time was up. Having stolen just a few more precious seconds for themselves, they broke the kiss.

"I love you."

"I love you."

And with that, Eric got up, his eyes saying more than all of his words had together, their promises and whispers echoing in their ears as their eyes tracked each other, trying to keep the other in their viewing range for as long as they could. As Eric was gently pushed out, he stood on the doorframe, where he was released and felt the firm grip of a smaller hand. Besides him a slightly taller pokémon, a green Serviper, was waiting, looking at him confidently. Having been caught up to speed, he walked in and faced the Riolu, giving him a smile and an ok sign with his left hand before a vine slowly reached for the door handle and shut the room out from the rest of the world, the last thing they both saw of each other being their tear filled eyes.

* * *

They returned to the hotel as night fell, the starry night sky above them dimmer and darker than ever, most likely because of the street lights, tall leaning and thin figures with heads of light encased in white glass, clear brightness washing the pavement underneath. The air was chilled, though pokémon still roamed the streets, steering clear from the silent group of pokémon, which somberly shared the road with the others.

Once they walked into the building, it was non-verbally decided they'd skip out on dinner, as not a single pokémon felt even a hint of hunger, just that empty feeling of unfulfillment and worry that took more and more of their vim. Along with sleep, this sensation forced them to retreat to their bedrooms, which obviously didn't help Eric once he laid on his empty bed, seeing only the void space besides him that Elly would usually fill.

His worries were palpable to Lucy and Zed, who were sharing the room with him and could tell he wasn't going to sleep that night. Zed rose up from beside her mate and looked over at his best friend, kissing her on the cheek and essentially telling her he wouldn't be sleeping by her side that night, which she understood. At the same time however, she quickly tossed over the blankets with a fit of slight anger, leaving the Zed with just a hint of regret in his mouth, but now that he was committed he wasn't going to let his friend down like that, and he knew she'd get over it.

He crawled off of his bed and made his way to his friend's, jumping on. "Hey, Eric." He called him in a soft whisper, the Riolu staying in that same position for quite a while, facing away from the Zorua and keeping himself underneath the blankets. "Eric, I know you're awake, come on." It takes the Riolu a few more minutes and whispers to turn around and face his friend.

"What is it, Zed?" The tone of his voice was hoarse, and he was clearly not in the mood for whatever Zed was giving him, specially so late in the night and worried as he was.

"I just wanted to check on you, talk about stuff. We know you're worried sick about Elly, but she's in good hands. I'm sure that as we speak they're going over the evidence and rehearsing tomorrow's trial. Alakard sounded like he trusted this lawyer a great deal."

The Riolu snarled. "He could be the world's best lawyer and I'd still be worried sick. It's not just the fact that she's being put on trial. That can be solved, even if some of the solutions aren't legal." He dropped the fact that he's willing to go that far quickly, trying to change the topic. "No, what has me up is the fact that she's alone in that place, with all those pokémon, and I can't do anything to help her. Instead I have to leave it all in the hands of another and pray he doesn't fuck it up."

"Well, isn't that what we do?" Zed's inquiry confused the Riolu. "Yeah, we take the missions and requests that other pokémon can't do for some reason or another, they leave the fate of the ones they love or something really important on us, and expect us to do a good job. It's the same thing now: we can't rescue Elly this time around because none of us are lawyers, so we hired someone to do that job for us. And just like the people we help and they put their trust on us, we need to put our trust on Alex. He's studied and worked his entire life to get where he is now, and you heard Alakard, that for him this whole feud with the Judges is a personal matter, so I doubt he'll let Elly down like that."

Eric sat up, facing the Zorua and listening to his every word, then turned to face out the window, sighing. Zed scooted closer and joined him, placing a paw on his shoulder to try and comfort him. "Yeah. You're… right, I suppose. I'm just worried sick, and I doubt that any sort of reassurance and proof that this will work out perfectly is going to help that disappear. Just the mere fact that she isn't right besides me is enough to offset any of that. I can't even talk with her through our psychic bond thanks to that damn collar they've forced her into."

"Well, at the very least I just wanted to check how you were doing, try to get you to relax and rest a little. Tomorrow's going to be a difficult day, and she's probably counting on us being there tomorrow to support her in any way we can." Zed smiled. "Try to rest up and get a clear head for tomorrow. She's probably trying to do the same right now, looking out the window like you are." Eric stayed silent for a few minutes, considering his words and closing eyes… imagining the Eevee with ease, seeing her looking out the window of her new cell melancholically. It broke his heart, his head hanging low, but could easily imagine her in that position as well.

He opened his eyes and smirked, pulling the Zorua closer with his right arm. "You're right. I need to pull myself together, because she's probably doing the same out there." Zed smiled and held up his paw, clenching it into a fist. Eric held up his free paw in the same way and bumped his friend's, smiling. "Thanks."

"Elly's not the only one who's there for you when you're feeling down. Earlier today I could feel you were being pained by all that was happening. We can easily understand how you're feeling right now Eric, you don't have to hide it all and make it look like you're handling this situation well, when in fact, you aren't. You aren't alone Eric, we're all in this together." The Riolu glanced over at Lucy, who'd been silent and moody the entire day, and remembered Serge's unusually depressing statements, Jake's cold demeanor as he scrambled to find a solution and Nox's constant attempts at improving their mood… All of them had been trying in some way or another to help the Riolu, but he'd mostly shrugged it all of. But then he remembered that brief moment they'd exchanged in the meeting room, their laughter, and how for a second it seemed like nothing they could throw at them would even make as much as a scratch.

Those were the feelings and ideas that he knew Elly had taken with herself to bed that night, and he decided to do just the same. Inspired by Zed's words, he let go of his friend, giving him a smile of confidence again. "We should go to sleep now. We've got a long day ahead of us." Zed nodded, returning that smile and hugging his friend, wishing him good night before he laid on his bed. He heard the Zorua slide off of his bed and return to his own, exchanging some brief kisses and whispers with Lucy before they too decided to sleep. He looked out of the window again and at the starry sky, smiling.

"Good night Elly".

* * *

Ferrus finished downing the rest of his bottle as he gazed at the Roselia in front of him, frowning as he slowly reached for another. He felt lucid and in control, even if he was drinking like a madman. He glanced at the rose he'd found at the foot of his door when he'd returned to his apartment, and then at the grass type, who'd all but confirmed that this was his doing. "Well? I was right, was I not?"

"Yes. The judges found a way to get a hold of every single private lawyer in the city… but even then we managed to find a public one for Elly. I've checked his profile, and he's clean."

"Well, that IS a relief, is it not? Such a shame that even then he won't be able to win the case. You may all have conclusive evidence about what is widely known she didn't do… but what about that gap? That large year long gap that absolutely nobody has an explanation for? They've all been awfully quiet about it, almost as if they just can't talk about whatever it was they were doing during that entire year of absence. No records. No missions. Nothing. Team Star took a simple mission to rescue some rich guy's daughter, a mission that wasn't confirmed by the guild in Treasure Town mind you, disappeared for a full year… and never did come back with the Eevee in question." He leaned forward in his chair, an untouched glass of brandy and an unlit cigarette in front of him.

"You know they're going to base their entire accusation on that fact alone, and that it won't go over well for you, because while they can present as much evidence as they want pointing to the idea that she and her entire team were off helping those terrorists, you can't bring any evidence that they were in fact doing a secret ETF mission or something like that, because such a mission never existed either." He chuckled. "And that's what's so hilarious about this whole thing: you know what it is they were doing, but there's absolutely no evidence of it, and it's something so outrageous you can't go out in public and seriously propose it as an alibi."

"You seem awfully informed about things that nobody but the highest tiers of the ETF should know." Ferrus slammed his glass on the table, furious. "I'm guessing you managed to get someone's dirty laundry list, didn't you?"

"I don't know. As you said earlier, I am a spy, and if I may be so bold, I'd like to think I'm pretty good at my job, the best in fact. But please, do not blame your companions or workers… I drive a hard bargain most of the time after all."

Ferrus frowned. "And you're going to do to me what you've done to them earlier, haven't you?"

Vincent's smile faded, crossing his legs and rubbing his chin. "Well about that… not entirely. I am here to make an exchange in fact, a true business transaction. And it is one that we're both interested in. You see, earlier today you mentioned you have some information on me. Now…" He chuckled, raising a finger. "Don't get me wrong here, I am not flattering myself, but I know for a **fact** that my clients never got any such information on myself to begin with, so I know that I was not sold out."

"Oh? You seem very confident about this."

"Well, if there's one I've learned is that in my line of work you can't trust anyone. Not even your own shadow. The world we live thrives off of information. Things like the list of Hoennian ambassadors embezzling public funds are worth a pretty penny in the black market. People go nuts over this stuff, and that's because whoever controls the information controls the work, so to speak. I'm just ahead of the curve at all times, which is **why** you saying you've got information about me caught me so off-guard! Because for once I've found myself pinned against a wall." He rose up and leaned on the table. "So tell me Mr. Ferrus, how is it that you got that information?"

The Lucario refills his glass a little bit, moves the liquid around a little, taking his sweet time to answer the impatient grass type's inquiry, gulping down slowly and savoring his tiny victory. "You aren't as perfect as you think you are by covering your tracks. We just asked the right people with the right information. You're not the only one that deals in the information business, though we aren't direct competitors: we work within the law."

"Hmph. Very well, I concede. Trust me, I have no intentions of repeating my mistakes… but anyways, since we're both on the same page, then let us talk business: you have something that I want, and I have something you want. So let's make a deal."

"I'm all ears."

"I have two requests: one, I ask you as a businessman, plain and simple. I will give you some information on some rather scandalous information regarding some high profile judges, one of which has been very involved in this whole case, and you go into your archives and delete every last bit of evidence you have on me and my clients." Vincent got right to the meat of his request, emphasizing all the pronouns in his sentence to make sure his point got across.

Ferrus glanced at him. "You know, for being so good at covering your tracks, you're awfully predictable."

"Safety comes first, after all… but I know that you want this information desperately, so I have yet another request. Don't worry, this isn't something I ask of you as a businessman, and I do believe we could both benefit from this exchange."

"Pray tell then?"

"This may come as a shock to you but… I would like to humbly request your help in hunting down a certain pokémon. I'll give you all the details if we do close our deal." Ferrus kept his eyes on the grass type, his steel gaze not faltering for a single moment, whilst Vincent kept his smile of superiority, thinking he had the Lucario against the ropes… before he suddenly lunged forward and slammed his paws on the desk.

"You know, for someone of your reputation, you'd think you'd know who it is you're dealing with. I wasn't born yesterday, Vincent: what you're offering me doesn't give me anything to work with. I need something to prove the Judges are lying, not something to publicly out them!" The empty bottle on the desk bounced and tattered over the edge, shattering into pieces of glass and scattering the last few drops of its content on the carpet, breaking the deep silence of the night and risking waking up some neighbours.

Vincent however, remained calm. "Well, that is what I am offering you with this deal, Ferrus sir. I know who it is I'm talking with, and what I have will save miss Elizabeth's life… if you play your cards right. Think about what it is I am offering you here Ferrus, and perhaps you will understand what I mean." Ferrus narrowed his gaze and looked up at the ceiling, thinking about Vincent's proposal and possible applications of this information… until his eyes widened in shock.

"But that's not… what you are proposing is not only dangerous, but unreliable."

"And yet it's the only thing that the Judges can't account for. If they went so far as to ensure not a single lawyer would take Elly's case, then who knows what else they've planned. Her only chance of survival lies completely on luck." Ferrus closed his eyes and held his head in his paws, his mind racing as he attempted to wrap his head around what it was the grass type was proposing. It was insane. It was risky. And it required an insane amount of collaboration, luck and sheer faith on a single pokémon to work… but if it did, Elly would no doubt be absolved.

"Well? What is your answer, friend?" He turned upward to look at Vincent.

The smile on his face was one of superiority and victory.

* * *

"Geez, they are taking their sweet time aren't they?" Lucy's voice was barely audible with the constant murmur of pokémon around them. The Courtroom was massive, round with several levels of chairs and seats for the jury, of which they were part. About half a hundred pokémon or more were there, whispering or outwardly talking and discussing what their plans for the day would've been hadn't they been called to court so suddenly.

"This is a bad start for the trial. The Jury is not in high spirits, probably because of how quickly the Judges arranged the trial, forcing them to cancel their plans."

"Can't you just like, decline it then?" Nox's lack of knowledge of the judicial system in Kanto gave Jake some excuses to explain it.

"And pay taxes to do so, yes. More often than not a citation to the court is received with reluctance by many, though there are cases of pokémon coming here willingly to witness trials, as they either enjoy the spectacle or wish to learn more about the law itself."

"Sounds like I wasn't the only one who skipped sleep last night." Eric commented from the front row, where he was sitting with Serge and Zed.

"Unfortunately, my own abnormal sleep schedule and nervousness prevented even the sleep powder from taking effect."

"Don't worry, tonight I think we'll all be sleeping like babies. Or right now, at this rate." Serge huffs and lays on back on his chair, placing his claws on the railing of the stands. "Seriously, they arrange the trial but then don't arrive on time? What a bunch of bastards. Even Elly and Alex are here already."

"Right, we know that but get your feet off the railing!" Eric hit his legs and forced him to lower them, then turned to look at his mate, who managed to steal a few glances of the Riolu, smiling weakly. She looked tired and nervous, sitting behind her lawyer like that, bending down. She looked frail and sick, which Jake kept repeating wasn't a good sign. The defense's bench was littered with paper and hard evidence, which he was currently going through and reciting to himself, preparing for any possible statement. The other bench, that of the Prosecution's, was empty, though they knew that the prosecutor would be none other than Martin himself, while the Judges bench was half filled. Some of the district and lay judges were important politicians, talking with each other and discussing the Judges of Arceus' delay.

"God this is so fucking intimidating." Nox breathed out, looking up at the ceiling. Originally, the building they were in was a church, but during the last Kanto-Johto war some of it was destroyed. After rebuilding it and due to the large amount of pokémon that had to be processed, it was restructured to become a court of law, albeit some of the Church motifs were still present in the ceiling. Several cannon vaults that were decorated with rows of stained glass windows on either side. The multicolored patterns mirrored each other until they all converged in the middle vault, round and bigger where a Fresco depicting Arceus in his earliest depiction could be seen.

Nox was confused by the image and asked Jake, who explained the origin. "That Fresco over there is the genuine Layers of Reality. Originally, Arceus wasn't considered to be a divine creator, but instead the enforcer of divine law. Besides him, or rather her, as he was considered to be a female deity instead of male, you'll see a blindfold and a knife, which represent the impartiality of law itself and yet the duty it has to impart punishment. Below it, that dark realm is obviously hell, and above the clouds part to guide the souls to heaven. Upon closer inspection one can spot two figures, one in white and another in black on both sides of the painting, which are supposed to be Reshiram and Zekrom, two pokémon who in Kantonian Mythos carried the souls of the dead where Arceus deemed them worthy. The lower half of Arceus' circle is often void of any decorations, but in this Fresco one can also point out the presence of a Chalice, which is a symbol of fertility, wealth and also rebirth, and on the other a sphere of divine light, which emblemized Arceus' holy powers and its capacity to destroy those he or she deemed unworthy to ascend or descend to another layer or to be reborn to have another chance at life."

"Holy shit. Why do you know so much." Lucy's sentence wasn't so much an inquiry but rather an exclamation of surprise, which Jake took in a flattering way.

"Well, I could even tell you it was painted here by Janus D'Ponti himself in the year 2547 of the Reborn era. The clues are in the arches in the vaults leading to the Fresco itself, because upon closer inspection the curves have smaller indentations in them and-"

"I wasn't telling you to keep going! At this rate we'll be asleep before the trial even starts!" Nox's exclamation earned him some hushes from the others and some chuckles from Serge, who kept his keen eyes on the somewhat empty courtroom.

"No seriously though, this is so goddamn boring already, when are t-" The fire type's sentence was cut short by the sound of the doors swinging open, the ancient hinges screeching and silencing the entire courtroom as pokémon clad in the normal Judges attire walked in. None of them were hooded, and so they could see some familiar faces, like Martin, who would be the prosecutor for the case, and of course, Tharmius, whose robes were as shiny and pure as they'd been a few days ago. All of the Team Star members silently stared at the Kommo-O, considering him their mortal enemy in this endeavor, while he seemingly ignored everything, from the glares he received to the comments of reprobation from other members of the court. He took a seat to the far left of the top of rows of Judges, then stood up and bowed.

"Our deepest apologies to the court for our tardiness. There were unexpected circumstances that kept us occupied the entirety of yesterday's evening and this very morning. The situation was dealt with as quickly as possible, and there will be no interruptions in today's trial as far as the Judges are concerned." With this statement, he sat back down, and once everyone and everything was in order, the Judge that had been elected to speak up for the rest, a shiny Vigoroth, slammed his gavel, and everyone in the courtroom rose.

"Well, now that the Bench Jury is complete, it is time for today's proceedings to begin. Today, the 13th of December of the year 753 of the Checkered Era in the High Court of Cunabula, the trial for the leadership of the Terrorist Organization that has besieged several cities across the globe, will be held, with the prime suspect being the Eevee: Elizabeth Star." Another hit of the gavel. "Your opening statements, if you may."

"Of course." The Prosecutor rose up. Martin had changed attires from his normal gown to a black and golden one, inspiring an air of superiority on the Servine that wasn't wearing any clothes in contrast. He read out, once more, the list of accusations against Elly, which only made Eric's blood boil. "The prosecution would also like to add that, should she be found guilty of any of these crimes, more specifically her leadership of the terrorists, that she is by consequence the daughter of Mr. Blake Dugald, who lives on in infamy as a mass murderer and genocidist." And with that, he sat back down, having made clear the possibility of Elly's relationship with Blake, something that stirred and altered the Jury around Team Star.

Alex calmly rose from his spot and began his own opening statement. "I am Alex Harld, district attorney, and I am here to defend my client, Miss Elizabeth Star, also known as Elly." He read out yet another long list of reasonings and articles that were basic protocol for these cases, and before sitting down added one more line. "I would also like to remind the court that in our current laws, the crimes of the father do not extend to the children, and that basing accusations and attempting to incarcerate a pokémon simply for their patronage is a crime in it of itself." More whispers and discussions from both the civil and the bench jury, which were determining whether or not to intervene.

"Objection! The prosecution has never stated such a thing!"

"Gentlemen!" The gavel smashed down again, silencing the two sides as the Vigoroth spoke again. "Let us not fret on these matters any further. The trial is already late as is, and should either of you object for any trivial matters you shall find yourselves out of this court. Understood?"

"Yes, your excellence." Both sides responded at the same time and glared at each other with animosity. Another smack of the gavel and the trial itself officially began. From this point onward, all Team Star could do was watch as Elly was brought out to the stand underneath the Jury to testify, explaining her reasons as to why she wasn't the murderer. And from there on out, the accusations of murder against her were brought up, with some rather flimsy and unreliable witnesses stepping to the front who, while passionately describing the "crimes" Elly was guilty of, most quickly attempting to appeal to the jury's emotions, Alex quickly batted them away with hard evidence he'd gotten from Ferrus and Alakard. Martin didn't just have his witnesses however, as some evidence was presented to counter Alex's, resulting in heated debates as the burden of said evidence was passed between them.

It was in these situations where Team Star saw the Servine shine: with each situation where it wasn't clear whether or not Elly could've been there and something unspeakable, he used his evidence to explain the real events that had transpired or prove that Elly's presence or involvement in those crimes was impossible. The last one however, proved to be far more difficult, as it was the charges put against her for the murder of her mother and father.

"Evidence gathered for the corpse of Miss Skye Dugald revealed bites marks from small fangs. Comparing them with Blake Dugald's dental records doesn't give us a perfect match, but when compared to those of Elizabeth Star, they are a perfect match."

"Miss Skye Dugald was reportedly assassinated by Blake Dugald when miss Elizabeth Star was but a cub. Not only that, but during the time of the crime she was confirmed to have been taken in by the Kecleon Brothers in Treasure Town, at the other side of the region. Not only that, but at the time there was no correlation between the defendant and the victim, as she was but an orphaned cub left at the door of the brothers. Are you willing to imply that miss Skye's initial report of her death was falsified? If so, where is your evidence?"

Martin glared at Alex. "The bite marks are…"

"Elizabeth Star couldn't have possibly been at the scene of the crime when she was 4 years old. She was kidnapped by Blake Dugald too during the events of the 1st of January of 749, and furthermore, the state of decomposition of the body should've been advanced enough to render any reliable autopsies useless. There is no hard evidence in existence that can prove my client's presence." What happened during that cursed night was enveloped in a haze of mystery of confusion, but Eric and Elly knew the truth, and why those bite marks were in fact on Skye's neck. Luckily for them, the body had been too decomposed and the official statement determined Skye had been dead for approximately fifteen years when the investigation on Blake's murders took place.

The silence that followed Alex's last statement was once again interrupted by the sound of a gavel. "Does the prosecution have anything else to add?" Martin turned to face up at Tharmius, who as ignoring him and discussing matters with other Judges, then shook his head. The gavel came down again and the verdict was handed down: All three parties found her to be innocent, thus clearing her of all the murder charges pinned against her, making Eric and the others breathe a simultaneous sigh of relief and cheer. Elly looked up at them and smiled, understanding now why Alakard had placed his faith on the grass type.

"Six hours have transpired since the beginning of this trial. A small recess for lunch and other necessities will now take place for the next thirty minutes. At quarter to three all the pokémon present will return to this courtroom and their seats. We implore that the prosecution prepares it's arguments in a more presentable manner for this next part of the trial too." Alex smiled when the Vigoroth said this, and the gavel marked the beginning of the recess. "Court adjourned!"

Everyone rose up from their spots and walked out of the courtroom, most pulling out food and fruits they'd packed with them specifically for this time. Team Star decided it was better to just do the same, have a small snack and prepare for the next half of the trial, which was probably going to be longer than the first. "I'm so tired… And all we've been doing is sitting still and wait. So boring…"

"Boring? I found today's proceedings to be quite thrilling if anything. Alex's moves and decisions are incredibly smooth and precise, and he meditates his words before speaking up, considering whether or not it is worth to object a statement or let it slide for the time being. Behind his every breath there is a reason…. Ah, it is so refreshing to see someone doing their job so admirably!"

"Geez… if I didn't know you, I'd say you're falling for the guy." Serge's comment made the Sneasel realize his behaviour and clear his throat, correcting his posture.

"On the contrary. I merely want to state my gratitude for helping a friend in need and doing a job well done."

"Well, why didn't you say so from the beginning?!" They all turned around to find themselves facing a lax looking Servine, smiling confidently and showing off his attorney's badge with pride on his chest. Upon closer inspection, he was in fact wearing some kind of clothes laced out of leaves which covered his arms and upper body, and where the badge was pinned on. "Even though it is my job, I live for moments like these, when the defendant and their loved ones get to walk away knowing they're saved."

"Hey Alex!" Alakard, who'd been waiting around with the rest of Team Star, walked up to him and high fived the grass type, both of them holding their hands. "Nice job out on the showfloor today! You really are wiping the floor with them today!"

"Kinda what happens when you base an entire case around lies. Those last few questions were tricky, but nothing too difficult." They broke away and then turned to face Team Star. "I am sure you're all fairly acquainted with me already. Apologies, since the short amount of time between them locking up Elly and putting her on trial was astounding. They really wanted to get their hands on her."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it… But anyways, Alex, right? Just like Jake, I want to thank you for all you've been doing so far. Without you Elly would…" Eric was cut short by the grass type grasping his shoulder and patting it.

"Hey hey hey. Don't sweat it. Besides, we ain't out of the woodworks yet! As far as I know, the real meat of the case's coming up now, what with that year long gap away from the public eye. I'm positive I'll be able to deflect anything they throw my way and, at the very least, get her to walk away on the grounds that there's no evidence and that your sabbatical is unrelated to the case." This last point was somewhat worrying, but Alex's confidence was infectious, and soon the others were looking forward to seeing Elly lifted of all her charges, thinking it was just a matter of time.

They didn't have much time for small talk however, as before the lawyer had to walk away to check on Elly, Ferrus walked into the defendant hall. He looked exhausted, as if he were about to keel over and fall asleep on the spot, but even so he managed to walk over to the group. "Good morning everyone. Sorry, Alakard, Alex, may I have a word with the both of you. There is… some new evidence I'd like to submit to the court."

"Huh? So late into the case?" The grass type narrowed his gaze and crossed his arms. "You know that's awfully suspicious."

"I am the leader of a planet scaled organization devoted to defending pokémon and keeping the law intact. Me forging evidence would be highly illegal and would put all of my organization into jeopardy." The two friends looked at each other, then back at the Lucario.

"Mister Ferrus, this is strictly against regulations, there hasn't been a formal investigation, and-"

"All in due time. Now, before court is put back into session. We found this information recently and… while I do not know how, I am positive you will be able to put it into use, Alex. But use it only when you're sure of what you're doing."

"Ok, now you're really starting to w-"

"Court will be reconvened in a minute! Members of the prosecution and defense, return to your benches at once!" That was the last call for the grass type, and with a sigh he snatched the folders of files from the Lucario's paws.

"I'll be the one to decide if I use this or not." He said, skimping through the documents as he walked in and disappeared from sight. Ferrus breathed out a sigh of relief, attracting the attention of essentially everyone around him, more specifically the other jackal, whose face had drained of all color throughout the whole exchange.

"Wh-What the hell was all of that?! What did you just give Alex?"

"Insurance. A certain someone reminded me of just how dangerous and unpredictable the judges are, so we must play with all the cards to our disposition." He looked at the Team. "I will be sitting with you for the rest of the trial… ready yourselves." As he said this, Martin walked past them, not even glancing in their direction, albeit he wore a devious smirk on his face, which made everyone shiver uncomfortably. That wasn't the face of a prosecutor that'd been doing nothing but lose up to that point in the trial.

That was the face of someone who knew their victory was assured.

With such an omen looming over them, they all entered the courtroom once more, with Ferrus and Alakard taking seats near the exit of the stands, while the others took their old seats again. After a few more minutes of discussion and noise, the unique sound of the gavel hitting wood echoed in the court. "Very well then, after this short break, court is now back in session for the trial is miss Elizabeth Star! Is the prosecution ready?"

"Yes, your honor."

"And the defense?" Silence hung over their heads, and the immediate reaction from everyone in the courtroom was to look at the bench. And there they saw Alex bent down on the table, reading through notes and scattering papers all over it as he went through this new evidence in a panic, eyes spread wide open. "Defense!"

"Yes! We are ready your honor!" He quickly regained his composure, but already an air of uneasiness lingered in the courtroom's air. Whatever that evidence was, he was extremely worried for some reason.

"Very well, the prosecution shall now bring forth the arguments against the defendant." And with another hit of the gavel, Martin stood up and began speaking.

"Yes. The defendant, miss Elizabeth Star, is suspected to be the leader of the infamous group of terrorists that have been attacking Flumerc Ars, Akil, Pontavicel and many other cities in Johto and Unova alike. The evidence against the defendant is threefold: for once, there are testimonies and witnesses that express to have seen a blue eyed Eevee prior and after the chaos ensued in the streets during the attacks." This revelation brought Eric to his feet, and the rest of the courtroom gasped in shock, forcing the Vigoroth to demand for silence. "Second of all, there is the matter of her behaviour: Four days ago, miss Elizabeth was requested to appear in Cunabula to undergo a routine interrogation. It is the Judge's duty to ensure the safety of pokémon across the globe and eradicate those that follow chaos before a tragedy like time freeze ever takes place again… and as such, as many of you know, we interrogate any potential suspects"

( **The Court of Resignation - Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice** )

"Miss Elizabeth." Suddenly, Tharmius spoke up from the Bench Jury, his voice echoing in the courtroom, the whole building shaking due to his overwhelming deep tone and his claws lightly tapped the wooden stand in front of him. "Let it be known that the Judges of Arceus do not have any prejudices. We investigate. We work along with other law enforcement forces and arrive at the sole truth. There is no such thing as a prejudice against a certain type of pokémon or species: darkness isn't something that belongs to a group of pokémon specifically, but rather something that could dwell within all of us. And it is the Judge's duty to find such darkness and eradicate it. You reactions during and after the interrogation, as well as your strange background have lead us to believe the worst."

"Objection!" Alex quickly rose up, facing Tharmius himself, breathing deeply. "You… a Judge cannot accuse the defendant of such things! And you are basing this case on your suspicions?! That is not legal!"

"Hmph. Perhaps you have misunderstood where it is you are, Mr. Alex. In this court of law, both divine and earthly law mingle to deliver proper punishment to those who break the law. These matters transcend not only your understanding, but this world altogether. Even then, we are not foolish: one cannot present a case without both evidence and a motive, but the Judges have already sorted these issues out."

Martin took the word from here on out. "First, the evidence: not only do we have those declarations I have just spoken about, but there is also the fact that miss Elizabeth, or any of her associates for that matter, have a solid alibi to explain a strange, reported absence during the last year. A year, mind you, tainted with several attacks, which all took place while they were mysteriously gone and other organizat-"

"Martin." Tharmius' single word was enough to stop the prosecutor on his tracks, who then returned to his reasonings.

"And secondly, the motive: is it not obvious? If we do presume that miss Star is none other than the lost daughter of Skye and Blake Dugald… then the motive for not only killing her father and taking after him as the leader of the terrorists couldn't be any clearer! The group he lead, known as Team Uncario, was an organization spawned from the secretive and equally disgusting Dark Eons." Martin rubbed the bridge of his nose, smiling. "I believe we are all properly acquainted with the history behind these two groups, correct?" More whispers followed his statement, while Alex clenched his fist and looked on, unable to do much whilst Elly behind him despaired. "If so, then you should all know that in this organization morals were all but forbidden, and someone who was born from that hatred, diluted and refined with the passage of time would no doubt have little issue in killing a father to ascend as the highest leader. And from there on out, she could lead a movement much bigger than her father's and carry out the insane plans that their clan had always sought! And given how the cause of death of Miss Skye remains uncertain to this day… it would all make sense that she was the true monster all along. Educated by her father, she rebelled and assassinated her mother in cold blood. Afterwards, she feigned innocence, joined a team and chased after her father to finish what she'd started and tak-"

" **Shut up! That's not true!** " Elly's own screams echoed in the courtroom, having gotten fed up with his constant accusations, and her shouting and own denial were enough to set off the rest of the civil jury, who began shouting differently, becoming an incoherent mass of screaming.

Almost all of the judges started hitting their desks and gavels, ordering that order returned to the court whilst Alex stood up and objected to all of Martin's 'claims'. "I object! The prosecution is dehumanizing and defaming my client!"

"I am stating the honest truth that has been deduced from the evidence and the testimony presented to us and to this court! If you believe it to be fake, then cross-examine their statements!" The Gallade's challenge was already a bad sign of what awaited them, and the Servine knew it, looking back at the Eevee he was defending with a frown, basically telling her that speaking up like that hadn't been a good idea.

"Order! Order! Objection overruled, and you will have your client remain quiet and not raise their voice in this court of law! Otherwise, she shall be removed from court!" The Vigoroth was absolutely livid, already angry that the trial was taking this long and with no clear end in sight. The rest of the bench looked tired as well, and the civil jury was incredibly heated, buying the lies that the Judges were feeding them and scorning the Eevee in low whispers, which only made Eric and the others furious.

"This is bad… Alex has no other option but to play their game, and they're appealing to Elly's own anger." Jake's comment made Nox turn his head back to look at the ice type.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it: there is no evidence to defend our absence from this world for the last year, but they claim to have evidence Elly was here and committed those crimes. We have absolutely nothing to counter those points, so if Alex attempts to demonstrate it he will be forced to rely to lies and bluffing, and those won't hold up well with the Judges."

"They'll have thought of everything. They want Alex to fuck up and say something he shouldn't say and chew him out like that. If they find him lying we're in deep shit." Serge looked at the scene deadly serious, his wings crossed before him.

"But if he doesn't say anything she's going to be indicted! And if she's found to be the leader of the terrorists and the one behind the murders…" Eric's sentence was finished by Jake.

"Capital punishment." This was the last straw for Lucy, who sparked in anger.

"This is bullshit!" Her shout was audible to the rest of the jury, and they were quickly hushed by the pokémon and some guards, forcing her to contain herself as she groaned and growled at them, less than happy for these developments.

"This is so unfair… How could things get this bad while we were gone?" Zed's somber comment ended their outbursts as the witnesses trickled into the court one by one. All of them gave passionate and heartbreaking retellings of the events, making it clear that they had in fact been present during those events, something not even the Team Star members doubted. All of them retold the tragedies with chilling accuracy, and some broke into tears when retelling some specially painful moments.

"And they were just… Arceus, they were just killing everyone they came across! I just saw psychic blades shoot everywhere and I quickly hid out of sight, and from my hiding spot I could see an Eevee… It was just horrible!" The pokémon crying at the current time was an Exeguttor, her declaration fitting in with the other pokémon's: as far as the Flumerc Ars attack went, Elly'd been there throwing psychic attacks all over the place, an irrefutable fact given that her use of those abilities was widely known.

Still, Lucy was less than happy. "Why the fuck is she here?! She should be acting on top of a stage the bit-"

"Calm down, Lucy. I am sure that they were all there on the day of the attacks… their stories and retellings are incredibly faithful to the official reports, and have details that only those there could've known: their feelings, the smell of the blood and the gunpowder… it's all too clear." Serge knew what it was like to describe events and experiences one had gone through, as he'd written his stories based on his own life experiences… and he could feel they were being honest.

"Then why are they lying about it?! She clearly wasn't there, so they should know that!"

"They want revenge." Eric simply stated. "They lost someone or something in those attacks, or saw so much death and destruction while they were incapable of doing anything that it broke them. When the Judges came around and swore to avenge those that had died in the attacks, the first ones to start supporting them were the victims and their families. These pokémon would give anything if it meant ending the pokémon they have been made to believe led those attacks. Even if she wasn't present."

"This is… bullshit." She elicited that last swear completely dispirited, unsure of what to do anymore as the witnesses kept coming. At least a dozen solid retellings of the various attacks that had taken place in those aforementioned cities, save for Akil, who Leon represented. He was called in by Alex in an attempt to show that Elly had in fact gone to the village to fix everything, but…

"Did you ascend the mountain with them?" Martin's inquiry after the Beartic's retelling was met with a shake of his head. "If so, how can you be sure that they were the ones to stop the blizzard in the first place? It's possible that she ordered some of her subordinates to attack the village with those blizzards, and once their usefulness ran out she took her "team" to finish them off, making it look like it was them saving a town and serving as further cover!"

"What kind of insane schemes are you thinking about?!" Leon burst out suddenly. "I'll have ya know that they all came back wounded, and they were the ones to stop the blizzard themselves!"

"Order! Mr. Leon, is that all you have to say about the defendant?" The ice type looked up at the Vigoroth and nodded, then was lead out of the courtroom with a brief 'thank you' from Elly.

( **Stop the music** )

Once all the witnesses had spoken, Alex was bent over his table, holding his head as he tried to find a way out of this situation. The courtroom was dead quiet for a full five minutes, during the which Elly broke down into tears, sobbing quietly in her seat. Her teammates looked at her from the stands, absolutely devastated as the trial came to what seemed to be a solemn end. Eric's glare moved to the lawyer that had proved to be useless to defend her, then Martin, the pokémon that had put her in that situation… and then finally Tharmius. The bastard kept an impassive face the entire trial, but he seemed to be hiding a slight victorious smirk. That was the last straw for him, his stomach churning and twisting as a knot tied around his throat, making him grow anxious and uncomfortable by the second, anger and ire building up as his arms gave off a faint glow. Zed was the first to notice this and grabbed his friend's wrists quickly, panicking as he whispered and pleaded him to stop.

As this all happened, the Vigoroth smacked down with his gavel. "Well, it seems we have reached the end of today's proceedings…" He looked up and out of the window, where they could all see the setting sun, when the trial had begun early in the morning. Alex rose to look at Elly, then at her friends, utterly defeated, looking across the stands… and his gaze stopped on Ferrus. He wasn't crying. He didn't look bothered. And neither did Alakard. Both were just staring at the Servine expectantly, as if hope wasn't lost yet. He then turned to face the folder of documents he'd skimmed through earlier, and began reading through them at a more relaxed pace.

This only enraged Eric further, thinking that Alex simply didn't care about Elly and was reading something else, completely unrelated as the Vigoroth announced the end of the trial. "If there will be no further objections from either part, then it is time t-"

" **Objection!** "

( **Courtroom Révolutionnaire 2016 - Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice** )

Alex's booming voice cut off the judge's sentence and made Martin and Tharmius shift to face him, a look of confusion on his face. In fact, the entire courtroom, asides from Alakard and Ferrus had turned to look at him in utter shock, while the two pokémon simply smiled knowingly, just like Alex was. He'd finally caught on.

"What is it, defense? You've been unable to fight back the prosecution's claims thus far, and no testimony against the defendant has been given in the last fifteen minutes. If you're attempting to stall this trial and bluffing I'll have you know your badge will be removed!"

"There will be no need for that your honor. I simply needed time to collect my thoughts." He trailed off, looking at Martin and smiling widely. "And also think of just in what way the prosecution's arguments were filled with nothing but rotten lies."

"Have you lost your sanity? You dare claim that those victims of terrorism are intentionally lying to pin Miss Elizabeth as the leader of the terrorists?"

"Yes. Yes they are, mister Martin." Gasps of indignation spread across the courtroom, which forced the judge to call to order again. "If I may be so bold, mister Martin, I'd say they're lying just as much as you are!"

"Fool!"

"Order! **Order!** " The gavel smashed down repeatedly to quiet down the civil jury, which was constantly shouting obscenities at the lawyer. They all wanted the trial to be done already, thinking he was just delaying the inevitable and wasting their time. Team Star, however, were at the edge of their seats, and Elly stopped crying for a bit, looking at her attorney in shock. "I will have you know, mister Alex that attacking the prosecution like that is…"

"I know, and I apologize… but there is evidence that can in fact prove my claim!"

"And how is any of this relevant to the case, if I may ask?" Tharmius rose an eyebrow, inquisitively looking at the attorney.

"You stated it yourself earlier today: the Judges or Martin, the pokémon that interrogated miss Elizabeth and directly blamed her of the charges I am here to deny today didn't have a personal reason, prejudice or motive to chase after my client. However, that is nothing but a lie, and the proof lies here!" He rose the folder over his head, showing it to the rest of the court.

"And what would that be, if I may ask?"

"Oh, just some documents that the ETF has provided for this trial, approved by its leader, Ferrus himself, and detective Alakard himself, the lead investigator." Martin's eyes widened and turned to look at the Jury, where he finally saw the two aforementioned pokémon: the former was sitting with his arms crossed, smiling, while the latter waved at him with his fingers and blew a kiss in his direction, directly mocking him. "And inside this documents is the fruit of an investigation the ETF has been conducting over the last week regarding your own organization."

These last few words caught Tharmius' attention, who bent forward and looked at the documents, his eyes glued to them, then looked at Martin, his gaze faltering when he saw that he was in fact breathing heavily. "And… what would this investigation have uncovered that is so important and also relevant to this case, mister Alex, given that as you have stated just now, that **is** legal evidence submitted to court." Martin turned to face Tharmius, a detail that everyone noticed.

"Well, it wouldn't surprise me if you didn't know, Mister Tharmius, as this operation has been kept secret for quite a long time. These documents detail the proceedings that certain members of the Judges of Arceus followed to steal the property and the deeds of the pokémon incarcerated and subsequently freed by the Judges!" The reveal outright sent ripples through the courtroom, making Martin shout out an objection hastily.

"This has no relevance to the case!"

"I believe it does have relevancy, mister Martin, because **your name is in this list!** "

"Objection overruled! What is the meaning of this, prosecution?!" The Vigoroth representative looked down at the psychic type, who swallowed in a panic, then glanced up at Tharmius again, as if searching for help. The Kommo-O however didn't provide him with a comforting gaze… but rather one that shot chills down his spine.

"I'll tell you what it means! It means that mister Martin here has a pretty good motive for pinning these crimes on my client!" He spread out the folder as he rose from his spot and walked out to the center of the room, holding a single page. "Allow me then, to explain the method that these pokémon would employ to carry out their scheme: first, since they mostly comprised those Judges that held the interrogations, they would pick specific targets with a certain monetary and property value that they thought was appropriate. Not all of them, of course, but some they would directly accuse of being conspirers and take them to trial. And as the proceedings are taking place… they would bargain with their victims, extorting them of their properties or some possessions. To do this, they would utilize law firms spread across certain cities, the names of which have no place in today's trial, and would have the victims sign documents to pass them their properties, thus enriching themselves and then liberating them under oath that their "crimes" wouldn't be brought up again as long as they said nothing of the transaction!" He showed the document he held in his hand. "This file just so happens to have Sir Martin's name on it, along with the victim, the transaction, and even a copy of the deeds for legal purposes… plenty of evidence to mount a case and show that this Judge is a very unreliable prosecutor!"

"So your claim then, defense, is that the prosecution has staged this trial and his witnesses to defame miss Elizabeth Star and steal their property!"

"Yes, your honor. And it just so happens that a year and a half ago Team Star paid to have a villa built outside of Treasure Town, near the Sharpedo Bluff. Not only is the area privileged, but the property itself is massive, fit for housing the seven pokémon that comprise the team. It is the defense's belief…" He pointed at Martin accusingly. "That he intended to take this from them by pinning the crimes on miss Star! With a motive like this, it would make sense that everything that the prosecution has used against my client is unreliable evidence!"

"Objection!" Martin rose up. "This is a personal attack! And how do we know that **your** evidence isn't fabricated?!"

"If you have a complaint… I suggest you speak with mister Ferrus and mister Alakard, both of which will be glad to help you conduct an investigation. Oh look, there they are." Alex waved at the two pokémon, who returned the greeting, alerting the jury for the first time of their presence among them, more whispers following these words. "At the same time, we could hold an additional investigation to contrast the declarations of **your** witnesses… Whatever it may be, the findings will shake his courtroom and the basis of this trial to its base!"

The possibility of everything up to that point being just a well fabricated lie from Martin, but also the idea that Alex was lying right now… they didn't know who was being truthful and who was lying, or if either side were lying. The Civil Jury burst into a loud commotion as they all rose up. "This trial is a sham! Just end it already! She's innocent then! No! She's guilty! We have other things to do!"

The judge's bench wasn't much better off either: the professional judges were avidly discussing with the special jury and the Judges of Arceus, and the Vigoroth had no idea what to do or say at a time like this, the courtroom spiraling down into was when Eric saw his chance, getting up and shouting at the top of his lungs. "Elizabeth Star isn't a monster! She was the one that helped bring down Blake and Team Uncario and together we have saved hundreds upon hundreds of pokémon! We aren't criminals or anything of the sort, because we are explorers! We fight to protect those that cannot protect themselves. We became explorers to do just that, and we'd rather die than to betray those ideals!"

His words resonated with some of the members of jury as they all joined in a single chant, the shouting increasing in volume as the sound of the Vigoroth's voice and gavel were drowned out, his voice hoarse from all the shouting as the other members of Team Star cheered and shouted alongside their leader, Elly looking up at them and her lawyer in tears, blown away by the amount of support. She now knew: there were many that believed in her, but needed a push in the right direction. Her hopes reignited, she turned to look at Tharmius… only to see him raising a claw up high, only to bring it own with force on his desk.

( **Stop the music** )

The sound was so loud that it was a miracle the entire desk didn't break down under the hit, albeit later on they found some claw marks on it, for which he apologized. " **Silence**." His voice was deeper than before, a serene and yet menacing expression on his face as he rose to his feet. "I can understand the shock and the impact of these news, for they are just as surprising to me as they are to you. However." Another hit of the desk, silencing some more whispers. "I will **not tolerate** this sacred courtroom to be turned into a circus. Should this continue further I shall personally see every single pokémon in this courtroom out of it, and this trial shall be declared null and void. Am I clear?"

The silence that followed his statements was crushing, and nobody dared move a muscle as he turned to face Martin. All the way up from the stands, higher than the Civil Jury and with his already intimidating size against the multicolored stained glass window behind him… he looked almost like a god, untouchable as his shadows extended downward, reaching the psychic type's feet. "And you, Martin… To think that you would be involved in such a conspiracy…" He sighed, then turned to face Ferrus, who he had spotted in the crowd long before he'd announced his presence. "This would be the reason why I plainly stated in the previous reunion of the council that both Judges and the ETF should work together. We do not have the amount of resources necessary to either discover or crack down an all these infidels."

"You mean that you knew of this from the beginning?! Hiding information like that from the police is a c-"

"Perhaps if you allow me to finish, detective Alakard, you may understand why we could not speak. It seems you have forgotten that the Cunabulanian police and the Judges are in a close relationship, and should word get out that there is an ongoing investigation the culprits would've been quick to run away or hide their trails. Discretion was absolutely necessary… something we knew that the ETF could provide, as they have the resources." Ferrus didn't say anything, but already he could tell what the Kommo-O was attempting and succeeding at.

Zed, Lucy and Nox were looking at everything in confusion, unable to comprehend what was happening. "The fuck's he talking about? He's absolutely f-"

"Damage control." Jake interrupted the electric type. "It is possible that they themselves knew of this and were truly unable to act… or these are orders from above and he is simply throwing them under the bus. The fact of the matter is, he's presenting Ferrus with an ultimatum."

"Ferrus obviously didn't get his paws on those documents through clean methods, and couldn't have been so thorough without snooping around where the Judges don't want him to, which means that he either has a mole in their group or he did something illegal. Tharmius knows this, and Ferrus does too, and neither is willing to fall in order to take the other out." Serge's addition further explained the underlying tension between those two goliaths of law and justice, which couldn't be seen nor heard, as the entire hall was dead quiet. Their eyes eventually separated and Tharmius turned downward to face Martin.

"You and your lot are the reason our organization is held with such contempt. You care neither for the will of our lord or the good of the people. You instead exploit their faith, lie and cheat just so line your own pockets. You may enjoy a plentiful life here, in the material world… and let this be heard by all!" He suddenly rose the tone of his voice so that all could hear him. "Our lord is merciful, and created the world we live in with matter so that we may enjoy it… but what awaits beyond is the true world. Material goods might make your lives in this realm more enjoyable, but never lose sight of our true prize and corrupt your souls like these sinners have!"

His words had addled the crowd, who were looking at the newfound criminal with scorn… the same scorn that they had once directed towards Elly during the trial. Those that didn't react like this and weren't lead by Tharmius' words could see just how easily the public was swayed. Their opinion changed drastically as new facts came into view, and new evidence was presented. The ease with which Tharmius had transformed that hatred towards himself and the Judges into respect was astonishing, as Martin was quickly lead out of court by the guards, unable to say much, knowing that his life was pretty much forfeit. Once the commotion after the reveal was over, the time came for their final verdict.

"Well… it appears that we have reached the end of today's proceedings. With Martin now being held for questioning for his involvement in the criminal activities described in the documents presented by the defense, the Judges no longer have a prosecutor."

"Indeed, we do not. And since the evidence that Martin had provided for the case has been put into question… due to the Judges being able to support the burden of the evidence, we concede, and claim that the defendant, Elizabeth Star… is not guilty." Everyone's eyes widened at this. "Furthermore, the Bench Jury has also found Elizabeth Star not guilty for the same reasons, and the Civil Jury has finally determined that she is found not guilty, with a rate of sixty percent pokémon voting innocent."

"It is therefore, this court's power to declare the defendant, Elizabeth Star not guilty of all the crimes presented today in court! She will have to pay court fees for the proceedings held today. Court is adjourned!" And with one final smash of the gavel, the trial was over.

There wasn't any type of celebration or cheering, asides from what Elly was able to hear from her teammates up on those stands, which was drowned out by the whispers and murmur of voices that soon flooded the court. Most were relieved that the trial was finally over, others didn't care and either were happy with the decision and others displeased. Whatever the case, the courtroom was soon emptied, with the judges and then the prosecution and defense following. As Elly was lead outside by a guard however…

"Watch your step, daughter of Blake." Her hairs stood on end as Tharmius walked by and whispered these words. "You may have evaded us today, but we have our means, as you have probably guessed from us knowing this information." She tried to open her mouth, but Tharmius predicted her words again. "Drop the act. The Judges knew who you were long before you came to Cunabula… who do you think sold you out? The quiet one? The rambunctious youth? The freedom seeker? Or perhaps the leech you call best friend? Or perhaps it was someone closer to your heart…"

" **Shut up!** " She turned around to face the pokémon… but he was already walking away by then, heading out through another exit while chuckling to himself, humming a strange song.

" _And here we stand, all of us, wrapped in our own little web of lies…_ " Mocking her and the Team, he disappeared from view, leaving a feeling of dread in the air.

* * *

"Hip hip **hooooorray!** " They all changed at once as Elly was tossed above their heads. Now in the reception hall and with Alex, Alakard and Ferrus watching them while discussing the judicial fees, the team kept on celebrating, throwing the Eevee above their heads. "Come on guys, that's not nearly high enough! Let's do it again! **Hip hip… hoooooorray!** " This time Serge lead the toss and she went up very high, letting out a scream of surprise and delight before falling right into Eric's arms, receiving a tender hug and a kiss on her nuzzle.

"Phew… Hoooo… ok, I think that's enough for now guys, I don't think I can take anymore before fainting…" They all groaned in dismay, but quickly recovered. It was hard for anything to bring them down right now, almost as if the trial was well in the past… which Serge kept insisting it was, trying to push a massive celebration.

"Tell you what, we still have those reservations at the hotel right? Well, what do you guys say we head over, rest up, then go for one massive buffet?! And this time there will be **no** grasshole!" Once again, the allusion to Vincent was met with laughter.

"Maybe. Depends on if I get some sleep… Neither me or Alex got a wink last night."

"Yeah, same."

"Ditto." Everyone in the group responded the same way, agreeing that maybe some rest was in order before celebrating.

"Right… well, how about this: we go back home, and the moment we get there and are ready we party like there's no tomorrow!" Nox's proposal was surprisingly well received, something that made him rub the back of his neck.

"Awww, and I suppose we aren't invited then?" Alakard and Alex joined in, followed by a silent Ferrus.

"Well, if you can make the trip, then yeah… but honestly I don't see you as the type willing to travel anywhere by ship Alakard!" The fire type was taken aback by the Shinx's comment, sweating nervously.

"Woah! How'd you know?!"

"Hehehe… I'm the greatest psychic in the group! Better than Elly!"

"You sure about that? I think you're just talking from experience and bluffing to make yourself look better." Her best friend quickly shot her down, making the others laugh and eliciting a punch with a light shock from Lucy, which only made Elly giggle.

"Haha! There is no shame in it! That being said, even if I didn't have such fear from the deep murky waters of the ocean." He blinked twice, as always being comical. "Strangely poetic that was. Anyways, even if that wasn't the case, I wouldn't be able to go. You guys have no idea how much paperwork just got slammed on my desk during that trial."

"Guessing it's just as thick as the files I used during the trial, eh friend?" He patted the taller pokémon's back. "Now you know my pain, whenever you send some poor sap my way to defend them in court!"

Alakard sighed and chuckled. "Yeah, guess so… still, it's not like you're not gonna be busy, so we'll both be miserable together. Again."

"Yeah. With all of that information coming to light there's going to be a lot of pokémon, and I do mean a **lot,** that are going to ask to have their case reopened. And that means appealing sentences, and that means work. **Loads of it**."

"Well, at the very least it's what you two love doing, isn't it?" Jake's eyes hid you just a tinge of admiration for the duo, which didn't go unnoticed by them.

"You betcha, little guy! Glad to see that headache is gone by the way!" Jake shrugged, smiling.

"It comes and goes."

"Right. Well, it was wonderful to finally meet Team Star in person. Have to say, you people are awesome. I can't understand why it is that everyone doesn't pay more attention to what you do… I mean did you read this morning's newspaper?" They all shook their heads in response to the Servine's inquiry, as they hadn't had the time and leisure to do so. Alakard was quick to please and walked over to one of the tables, grabbing a newspaper that had already been read and used numerous times that day, no doubt by some pokémon who was bored.

"Well, the front is less than cheerful…" The main title was some piece of news relating the trial that was to take place that morning. Thankfully, it didn't mention who it was specifically, just some exploration team. "But look at this!" He opened it somewhere near the middle and pointed at the left page.

Drowned among updates on other news,economical and political affairs was an article written that very day, relating that a brave exploration team who called themselves Team Star had successfully saved Akil Valley and its inhabitants. The article quoted "The pokémon bravely fought against a group of terrorists stationed near the town who kept assaulting the village with relentless blizzards, and came out on top. Some of the survivors have agreed to do interviews…"

"Well that's some shoddy journalism. Not even having an interview ready after three days in the cooking? Also, how come I'm not surprised that the Judge's bullshit made the front page?" Serge couldn't do anything but scoff at the article, but the others still appreciated that there was some mention of them and their deeds on the news, as small as it was.

"Sadly, with what's happened here today, I doubt the story will explode beyond some interviews in the next issues, but you're going to be talked about a little in Cunabula. If you keep up the rhythm and do your jobs well, who knows, you might just replace the Judges as the centre of attention." Alakard folded the paper and handed it to Eric, who decided to keep it to read everything in it later. "Anyways, I think that we've all earned a good night's rest. I doubt we're gonna see each other tomorrow since I'll be up to my armpits in documents so…" He leaned in and shook hands with everyone individually, shaking their paws, wings and hands with equal enthusiasm. "It's been a pleasure to meet you all! Drop by some other time, will ya?!"

"I think I'm going to be leaving with you Alakard." Alex did the same with everyone else and remained with Elly for a bit longer. "Should there be any more developments, you know where I am. Got it?" The Eevee nodded, understanding that they'd gained powerful allies that day. With that a few more short goodbyes to Ferrus, who simply smiled in acknowledgment, the duo walked out of the building and into the setting sun. Not long after, they too walked out onto the street, having a friendly conversation while Ferrus silently walked by them. It wasn't long after leaving the court of law that they were stopped once again my familiar faces.

"There they are!" Celebi called out and pointed at the group, she and Grovyle quickly approaching them, the pink legendary quickly hugging Elly. "Oh, I was so worried! We just heard of the trial and we came here as fast as possible! When is it going to happen?! Who is the opposing party! Oh I'm going to give them a piece of mind and throw them into the past!" Celebi was absolutely livid, while Grovyle seemed much calmer and collected, though was still quite coloured, as if he'd been running not too long ago.

"Oh, hi Celebi. You're kinda…" Elly pointed at her neck, signaling she couldn't breathe in the pokémon's bearhug, and was quickly released. "Phew. It's alright, everything came out right. We won the trial, so no need to worry yourself, Cele-"

"Wait, **it's already over?! We were late!** Quick, Grovyle we need to travel back in time an-"

"We're doing no such thing!" He shouted, clearly exhausted. "Not again!" He wasn't angry or upset, if anything he was downright terrified of jumping through another one of those time hoops. "We've been trying to do that all afternoon, have some mercy on me Celebi!"

"Oh this wouldn't have happened if I hadn't overslept… I'm so sorry girl!" She hugged her again, eliciting another yelp from the normal type.

"Well, at least someone managed to skip it… It was as boring as watching paint dry anyways, but nooooo, I had to stay awake in case something happened." Nox wasn't amused by all of this, and quickly they all began talking amicably, with the newcomers asking how the trial had gone down. Seeing that he wasn't a part of the conversation and that he was no longer required to be there, Ferrus turned around and took a few steps away from them…

"Hey Ferrus!" He halted as he tried to slip away unnoticed, turning around to find Eric facing him, a worried look on his face. He gave the Riolu a tired smile.

"You aren't the only ones who didn't get to sleep last night. Assembling those documents was a pain in the ass. I need to get some sleep and get ready for tomorrow. The real investigation starts next morning, and I have to be ready t-"

"Thanks." Eric cut him short, confusing the jackal. They all looked at the aged Lucario as well, repeating the Riolu's words or gesturing towards him in gratitude. "If it hadn't been for you finding those documents… Elly wouldn't have gotten out of there. We owe you." He once again, remained silent, looking at the ground. He then rose his gaze and smiled weakly, something that cheered up the others.

"Don't mention it. It is the least I can do personally for all the service you've done for me and the rest of this world through all these years. I'll have a few busy weeks starting tomorrow, but who knows, after that I may drop by Treasure Town. It's been ages since I last went to Spinda's, or tasted Zed's cooking for that matter."

"Oh, you cook?" Celebi quickly asked once Ferrus said this, making the Zorua blush.

"Y-yes, a little bit…"

"Now, with your permission. Good luck, and I'll see you all soon, hopefully." He waved at them and the others waved back and thanked him again. As he walked away, he overheard their conversation.

"Well, you're gonna have to help me make a huge feast, Zed cutie pie, because we've got a lot of things to celebrate!"

"Woah, such as?"

"Oh, you haven't heard? Dusknoir's getting the third degree and are moving him from Cunabula to Treasure Town, so he'll be closer to all of us!" The news caught everyone by surprise, specially a certain ice type, and they started celebrating again. Ferrus was long gone by then however, having slipped into the mob of pokémon walking up and down the streets, concerning themselves with their daily lives. As he walked and avoided walking or bumping into others, he exchanged furtive glances with some or looked at others. He wondered just what was going through their minds, what was keeping them so blind and oblivious to the dangers that were slowly creeping up upon that city.

He made it back to his apartment by nightfall, closing and locking the door behind him. He rested against the wooden frame and breathed in the stagnant air of his room, borderline intoxicating after having gotten such a nice breath of fresh air during that long walk. He meditated, he thought, and collected his thoughts, then walked over to his desk, opened a cupboard and pulled out a metallic tray with cigarettes. He put one in his mouth and opened a box of matches, lighting the end and extinguishing it before sitting down, pouring himself a glass of brandy and shuffled through documents on his desk, while pulling up a waste bin closer to him. It was filled with crumpled up papers and half written letters, though soon a massive stack of files and folders followed. He grabbed photographs, paintings of a certain Roselia, glanced at them and at the notes written underneath… only to then tear them apart and toss them in.

The last thing to go was a file with a full name and surname on it.

" _Vincent Magnolia._ "

Without zero hesitation, he tore apart, broke and trashed months upon months of research, stuffing them into the bin and pushing them down. Once it was all down in the bottom, he grabbed the glass of brandy, took a sip, and poured the rest of it into the bin, to finally end by tossing the cigarette in his mouth inside. The fire spread quickly, consuming all the evidence and reducing it to ashes. The smoke that filled the room was soon too much to bear, and yet he still calmly walked over to the window and pushed it open, letting the fresh air of the night flow in for the first time in weeks, the smoke flying out in small, almost translucent strands of gray hairs, ascending towards the starry sky where they vanished without leaving a trace. He watched this all happen, and let out a sigh.

"Indomatia, eh…"


	9. Chapter 6 - Ice

**It's been long, hasn't it?**

 **Let's get right into it.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Ice**

 _ **To use reason and logic above emotions and feelings,**_

 _ **in other words, to be cold**_

Soon, sooner than it could imagine, they'd be heading towards the Sanctuary. They had another fragment in their possession, after all, and they knew very well what that meant and what that could do to them. Their powers had grown great with the previous four, but the Sanctuary had far exceeded its use… or perhaps there was something else it could do. These were the thoughts and ideas that coursed through its mind as it approached the lone mound of earth standing in middle of an open field. The stars above and the moon didn't reach that place, too far away from the world, and yet laid bare before everyone's eyes. The gate too, was peculiar, a complex mechanism, fit for only a very specific group of people that would ever be privy to one of the best kept secrets of that world.

And yet, even those select few would never be able to understand the true extent of its nature as it placed a hand on the door, caressing it as it trailed around in order to find that one dent, pressing and then pulling outward. The rock slid out, revealing a much more complex pad, with the indentation of a five fingered hand. It stuck its hand in, and waited… waited…. the glow changed from a bright red to a gentle blue as the gate slowly opened, giving way to a hallway that went neither up or down, contrary to when they had explored the sanctuary. It walked inside, confident, as it knew there was nobody who could be watching. The place he was headed to was far beyond the sight of mortals.

The walls changed, from simple cut out rocks to smooth white marble, which looked extremely frail, and at the end was a door with the same pattern. Said door slid upward as he approached, revealing a dark room on the other side, the thick scent of eons passed hitting its nostrils all at once. It walked inside, regardless, the heavy layers of tingling dust brushing its feet and cape as it reached to the right, searching for one more set of keys on the wall. Pressing them in what seemed like an arbitrary order made more lines of light surge out from the top and reach the ceiling. The room was made out of the same white marble, the white energy lines flowing through it and illuminating the rest of the room. In the center, an altar rested, as long as a sarcophagus, but it knew it was empty.

Still, it had a different use. It looked around, and at the ten pillars spread across the room. Four of them gave off a weak hue of their respective color: purple, red, blue and light green, while the others remained inactive. It approached the center and wiped off the layer of dust once, twice… as many times as needed for that keyboard to appear. Once it was clear, it pressed a single key, the temple itself humming as the true core of the world came to life, lights appearing across the surface of the sarcophagus. Walls of text and reports scrolled downward on holograms that appeared in front of it, pressing keys and entering rules and commands. It was familiar with the machine. After all it had been there when it was built.

It didn't take long to make a few changes. The wonders of magic and technology that lay in the circuits and crystals of that wonderful construct and their inner workings escaped even itself, as there had only been one creature capable of understanding them. What it knew however, was that when they returned to the Sanctuary to carry out their deed, they would find their experience to be much more different than the last time. And with its task done, it shut down the construct, the building once more returning to its languid dead state, returned to the entrance and pressed the same keys in reverse, the lights dying down as the room sank back into darkness, and finally the door slid down and closed as the figure left the room, sealing itself away from the world one more time.

* * *

"Hmmmm…" Nox stared intensely at Lucy.

"Hmmmmmmm!" She stared back at him over the chess board.

"Hmmmmhmmmhmmm!"

"Hmmmmmhmmmm **hm**!"

" **Hmhmhmhmhm!** "

"Can you two cease that noise." Jake was quick to end their strange exchange as he was pulled away from his book, only receiving a look of scorn from the two in response. "It is extremely hard to do anything other than respond to your idiocy when you are doing that."

"Oh come on, what's up your ass this morning ice?" The fire type was none too pleased with his treatment of the duo, who were facing off in a chess match which they had proclaimed "would go down in history", and so far, the only memorable moment in that whole match was when Lucy had properly used the Knights, only to lose one of them to Nox's rook and then go back to her nefarious ways.

"I will inform on both accounts: one, there is nothing inside my rectum, and two, the fact that a certain electric type, whose name I shall not mention should they attempt to retain their anonymity, has grown a certain habit of getting up extremely early in the morning just to spite me."

"The world doesn't turn around you, Jake! I get up early and go for a run daily, need to stay healthy and alert." Almost a week had passed since they'd gone back home, and Lucy had made a full recovery from the incident. The first few days had been extremely stressful however, as she had frequent nightmares and complained about her neck feeling cold. Elly's counseling and the comfort of her own mate helped her get over the latter and the subsequent stress, though the nightmares were still there.

"First of all, the world spins on itself through the center of gravity, Lucy, that I know, and second of all, I find it improbable that what you are doing is exercising, as you are always the first to complain when Eric starts the warming up exercises."

"Wha." The Riolu stopped throwing the ball he was playing with up and down and turned to face at the duo, having heard his name, though a quick wave from the Sneasel dismissed him, returning to tossing that ball and catching it as it fell, laying on his back on the sofa with Elly at his feet, reading.

Lucy glared daggers at Jake. "Ok, first of all, the joke?" She moved her paws above and past her head, a motion the Sneasel didn't understand either. "And second, I do what I want, leave me alone. Just know that I don't do it to annoy you or whatever the hell." With that, they attempted to return to their game, but the mood was pretty much ruined by the fact that Nox had been moving the pieces while she wasn't looking. She caught him in the act with his queen in his fangs, giving her a sheepish smile before he was smittened by a bolt of electricity, knocking the chessboard and the pieces over and sending the Houndour tumbling to the floor in pain.

"Lucy, be careful with the board." Elly didn't even lift her eyes from the book as she said this, too absorbed in her reading.

"Yes, moooooom." The Eevee promptly shut her book and shot a look of annoyment at her friend, who just stuck her tongue out and picked up the pieces of the board, kicking Nox swiftly in the groin as she walked past him.

"Aaah! Fuck! What was that for?!"

"Being a pain in the ass."

"More like "I didn't get pounded this morning, so I'm just going to be a bitch all day 'till Zed comes b- Aarghgagagaga!" The second shock promptly silenced him, though Lucy wasn't about to deny his obscene accusations: Zed and Serge had left for a mission near town earlier that day, and wouldn't be back until nightfall. After the chessboard had been put back together again, Lucy laid on her back on one of the cushions, while Nox limped his way to be besides Eric, sighing repeatedly in an attempt to catch the Riolu's attention.

" _What's wrong_?" His plan succeeded, albeit through their crystals.

" _Honestly? Bored and horny._ " Eric sighed and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle.

" _That I didn't need to know Nox… how about you just go sort that out then? And if you're still bored by then we can go out do some sparring in the backyard._ "

" _So you can give me an earful about teamwork again? Thanks but no thanks._ "

" _Last time you didn't exactly follow orders, now did you? Besides, you were stressing out and crying like a baby after falling through that forest._ "

" _Oh fuck off with that, I was in pain and my leg was broken! Besides, sure I may not have followed the initial plan to a T, but I did what you told me afterwards and it all worked out fine!_ " Eric sighed, knowing that this conversation wasn't going to get them anywhere and motion to the bathroom.

"Go." The Houndour got up and shot him a look of annoyance before heading to the bathroom and locking behind him, leaving the Riolu to sigh and ponder alone. He'd definitely improved when compared to when he'd first joined, and had a good idea of when he really had to follow and stick to the plan, but he was still much too eager to lead and be the boss for once, and that was something that put him at odds with Eric every so often. The house was in complete silence for the next half hour, the orange light of the setting sun coming in through the window and slowly transitioning from that gentle warm glow to a colder blue. Nightfall was upon them, but there was still an hour or two left of day.

It was around then when there was a knock on the door, snapping everyone out of their calm stupor. "Hello?" Elly called out, looking at the door, then turning to face everyone else in the house, who only answered with shrugs of indifference. She looked at Eric and the two had a brief exchange, which ended with him getting up from the sofa.

"Coming." He called out, walking to the door and undoing the locks before opening. "Hello, what can we do for you?"

On the other side of the door was a Luxray. Their eyes were emerald green, their mane long and furry, black and blue, albeit it went to cyan and gray around their legs and face, a sign of their age and maturity, and theirs ended on a three pointed star instead of a four pointed one. "Yes, hello. Is this the residence of Team Star? I am here t-"

The sound of someone shuffling around inside caught both of their attention, and they found themselves staring at Lucy, whose emerald eyes were glaring at the bigger cat's. "You…"

"So you **were** here after all!" The Luxray pushed past Eric and invited herself into the house, aggressively pacing towards the Shinx. "I've been sending you letters every single day for two weeks and not one did you respond to! Not a single one of them!"

"Oh, you mean the letters I've been burning every day? Yeah, read the first one, then decided that what was written on them was less valuable than the paper, so I burned them to arm ourselves up. Got a problem with that, Amalra?"

"Amalra? How can you use my first name to refer to me! You will refer to me as your mother, Lucy Kissida!" The smaller cat hissed as the sound of a book hitting the floor echoed from behind them, Elly staring at the two in awe.

"Wow, already resorting to this, eh? Trying to make me look like trash in front of my friends… Well, guess what " **mom** ", I'll call you what I think I should call you, but you definitely don't deserve to be called 'mother'." Amalra gasped, pained and took a step back.

"Oh you little…"

"Hey hey hey!" Eric stepped in between, having slammed the door shut and pushed them away from each other. "If you want to bicker like little children you can do that outside, this isn't your house you know, so take your own domestic disputes to your own!" He clearly wasn't happy with them bringing their issues to his home, but it seemed Amalra was ready to respond to this.

"Bah, I would if this ungrateful kit had the love in her to go back and visit her poor family… but no, instead she has me travel halfway across the region just so I can pay her a visit, and it turns out that she's so heartless she's been burning my love filled letters! How can you have someone so **utterly heartless** in your team?!"

"Love filled? Heartless?" Lucy shook her head and tried to walk away and back to her cushion, laying on her back. "That's rich coming from you, you know that?"

"Lucy Kissida! Stop being indecent!" She obviously wasn't happy with the position she was laying in, already painting a pretty conflictive picture between the two. "I can't believe that I've brought up a whore after all!"

A whore?! You were the first one that wanted to whore **me** out when the pretenders came, and now you have the guts to come over here and call me a whore?!" The language and the relationship between the two were only making this conversation more awkward for the others, who couldn't do much outside of listening and trying to cut into the conversation, only to be silenced by yet another insult or shout.

"I wanted to make sure you could have a happy life, all of those pokémon would've made turned you into a happy mother with a beautiful husband and kits… and instead you ran away and got together with… with a Zorua! And he isn't even here to begin with!"

" _And probably for the better… Poor Zed wouldn't be able to withstand the assault of this mother…_ " Elly shared this thought with the others as she spoke up. "He isn't here because he's taking care of a mission, though he will be back soon."

"Good, then I'll stay here and wai-"

"Oh no, you're not staying here. You're leaving, and taking your stupid excuses and lies somewhere else." Lucy cut in again, absolutely livid with her progenitor, who stood her ground and shouted back.

"I will stay here! Your father and I only ever saw him once, and we were told to bite our tongues and not say anything about him, but now I'm going to say what I really feel about him!"

"Oh, so this is how it's gonna be then? Since you can't convince me to go back home and deal with your bullshit, you're trying to get my mate involved in this?"

"Mate?! Oh Lucy sweetie, don't tell me you…" She had to sit down, panting heavily and fanning herself, clearly distressed and with tears in her eyes.

"Oh yeah, we've done it again and again! And you know what? I was **on top** too! How's that for your customs?!" The mental image she was giving the others would've been received with chuckles or blushes normally, but in this situation it seemed to have much deeper implications that just the positions for intercourse. "And if it gets you to cry like the bitch you are, then I'll tell you that we haven't had kits yet!"

It seemed to work, because Amalra seemed to break down into tears, sobbing. "I've failed as a mother… How could you do this to me, my own blood! I'd come here to check how you were doing and all I'm met with are screams and obscenities. How can you do this to your poor old mother?!" She let out a heart wrenching cry, sobbing into her neck fluff.

"Lucy, stop! You're hurting her, she's your mot-"

"You stay out of this Elly! And don't you dare call her that! Does a mother try to actively ruin your life and turn you into someone's fuck toy?! Does a mother actively say she regrets ever laying your egg and refuse to feed you?!"

"I've never said or done such things!" Amalra seemed to go into full blown denial at these accusations, getting up and essentially screeching. "You ungrateful kit, I've worked my back off to bring you up with your father, and this is the respect you have for both of us?!"

"Don't you dare bring dad into this."

"He's the reason I came here to begin with! Your father is sick and dying, and you can't even bring yourself to go back and visit him in his deathbed! Heartless, that's what you are, **you're heartless**!" Lucy bit her lower lip and looked away.

"You… you're just using him as an excuse!" She walked over to her, her fur sparkling with electricity from anger. "I've heard enough out of you and your bullshit, Amalra! Get out of this house and out of my life! And I swear, if I hear from Zed that you've bothered or tried to talk him down of being mate at any point, I swear I will-"

"You will what?! Break my heart, when you've already stepped, shattered and spat on it?!" She howled out in pain, their bickering having gone on for almost half an hour of nonstop screaming, making Elly worry about whatever the neighbours would think. "I'll do what I think is best for my daughter, end of story!" Neither of them seemed to be willing to back down, but Amalra was headed for the door, absolutely livid and crying. "Ooooh…. I can't believe this…" She kept whining and limping towards it, leaving a trail of tears as she sniffed.

"Wow, maybe you should go look for a job at a traveling theatre, your acting skills would net you the spot as a lead actress!" This was the last straw for Elly, who stomped on the ground with her paw and glared daggers at Lucy.

" **Lucy, stop**!" In her eyes, she was essentially beating her up while being down, and the older cat turned around, sniffing and tried to direct a smile at Elly.

"Thank you, young lady… Elly, I assume? We've heard about your team and what you've done over in the Amp Plains, w-"

"Get out of here right now!" Lucy cut in again, clearly tired of even hearing her voice, and with that last threatening look and shout, the Luxray bowed, then exchanged a look with her daughter. The amount of emotions, from sheer pain, to resentment and sadness flashed across her eyes, whilst Lucy's only showed a deep seeded hatred for her parent. With her hopes of convincing her daughter dashed against the ground, Amalra left the house and slammed the door shut behind her, her cries audible in the street, and probably attracting the attention of many kind hearted pokémon. "Fucking attention whore, now everyone in the street is going to start wondering what the fuck happened…"

"I'm wondering that myself already! What the hell was that all about?!" Eric was none too pleased about all of that, the Eevee choosing to remain quiet and listen to her friend, whilst Jake returned to his reading, doubtful as to whether or not he wanted to listen or not.

"Kinda self explanatory, wasn't it? If you didn't catch on, then forget about it, because that's what she wants. She wants us to think about her and what she said and shouted at me, because she's that type of person." She was still actively fuming, laying on the cushion and hitting it repeatedly. "Who does she think she is, walking back into my life like that and threatening…" She roared out.

"Lucy, calm down!" Elly attempted to calm her friend down. "Look, we don't know what it is that happened between you two but she's your m-"

"No, I can't be calm, because this is exactly what she wants! She wants me to think about her, to feel pity and sorry for her because she's supposed to be my "mom". And yeah, sure she's the one that laid my egg, but she might as well have made an omelet out of it." She stood up and left for the stairs. "Look, I'm not going to think about it anymore. I'm angry, annoyed and everything in between, so I'm just going to lie down until dinner. I'm not going to give it any more thought, and if I don't care then neither should you!" She didn't let anyone try to discuss the issue with her, quickly escaping and locking herself in her room, the lock snapping behind her.

Elly sighed and sat down, looking at Eric with worry in her eyes, but the only thing the Riolu did was shrug. "Well… we can't go upstairs and get the truth out of her, Elly. Unless you want her to start screaming at you for sticking your nose into her business." The Eevee opened her mouth to reply, but decided to drop it, admitting that he was right.

"That just was a lot of things happening all at once, I just can't wrap my head around it. Can't stop thinking about it either, because she sure as hell isn't going to walk down those stairs looking fresh like a rose." They all knew that Lucy would be even more irritable than usual when she wanted to come down for dinner, if she did, but that was something they'd have to deal with one way or another. He patted her shoulder to soothe her a bit. "We'll just have to ask her about it some other time when the dust has settled."

"Yeah… If I understood anything out of that though, it was that her father is sick. We'll have to ask her if she's going to go visit him or not." As they attempted to put everything together and calm down, Nox came out of the bathroom, looking bothered.

"What was that all about? I heard screaming from in there, something about Lucy and her mother?" The duo quickly helped the Houndour get up to date with the issue, warning him to leave the Shinx alone for the rest of the day, something he agreed with without a second thought. "Dude, you crazy? She fried me earlier just from teasing her, I'm pretty sure she'd straight up fuckin' kill me now."

They all attempted to return to resting normally, laying around and reading or something like that, but there was an air of tension about them that kept the four pokémon from resting properly. Eric and Nox left for the back of the house, where they'd draw a crudely made arena with chalk across the grass. However, the previous night's rain had washed it all away, forcing them to draw it again before they did some warming up exercises and sparred. They both knew the other's fighting style: Nox's was more based on his flames and trying to corner his opponents, but Eric could get through those hinders with ease by jumping over them with his wind spheres. However, he wasn't allowed to use those abilities, and neither was Nox allowed to use his fire, since there was a risk of burning the house down, and so it was mostly physical.

Even in that area, Nox was a force to be reckoned with. He rushed down his leader and swiped with his front claws, leaping at him and then quickly bucked his back legs at him, turning and twisting as he constantly slashed and kicked away at the Riolu, even if he was a quadruped. He and Eric traded one last blow straight to their chins and knocked the other down to the ground, finishing the session and leaving them panting, exhausted from the exercise. "Well, you're definitely getting better with close quarters combat… you don't hold a candle to me when it comes to using weapons though."

"Well, what weapons do you want me to use with these?" Nox, who was laying on his back, showed his paws. "It's alright hard enough to do what I do without twisting his wrists out of shape! At least without fire."

"Well I'd rather not have second degree burns all over my body each time we spar, or do you want Elly to come down on you for singing my fur?" Eric joked as he got up, helping his companion as well.

"You've got a point…" He accepted his help, then sighed. "Hey, um, about what you told me earlier about me not taking orders." Eric turned to look at him. "Well, I know I don't always follow instructions to a T, but you know I don't fool around when it's serious stuff, like what happened the other day in the mountains. Sure I like, complained for a bit, because it fucking hurt like hell, I'd never broken a leg before, but I still did all you told me!"

Eric sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah well, maybe I shouldn't have used that situation as an example… Ummm… Oh, right ok, remember the whole caravan interception thing we had to do while in Hoenn?" Nox nodded, hissing as he knew exactly where this was headed.

"Ok yeah, I did fuck up pretty badly in that one, they almost got away."

"And all because you decided to jump in when you thought that was everyone in the caravan. You went right in, and Serge and Jake had to follow you in while we watched. You tore right through them sure, but that Rhydon would've cracked your skull open if you hadn't reacted quickly."

"Well, it worked out in the end didn't it? We managed to stop them from taking those pokémon away to be sold as slaves!"

"That's not the point, Nox. Everything worked out fine, yeah, but what if it hadn't? What if nobody'd seen the Rhydon? What then? We would've had to carry your wounded body, or hell, even worse, your dead body, back to a safe spot, and there aren't many of those in Hoenn. And that's considering he even went to attack you. What if it had been Jake he'd gone after? Or Serge?"

"Ok ok, I get it!" The amount of things the Riolu was claiming he'd done wrong was almost too much for him to keep track of, but he got the gist of it. "I went in when it wasn't safe and it almost cost us, I get it. I just… look, every single time I just feel like I'm doing nothing, like I just stand in the back and let you, Elly and maybe Serge or Jake do the heavy lifting, while I'm just cruising along, maybe shooting a fireball or two. But I know I could like… do better!" Eric listened to what he was saying and his words, closing his eyes and weighing his words.

"Well… I see that. I agree, maybe you haven't been getting too much action, but at the same time, the other time with the Rebscura you were at the forefront and you remember what happened."

"Yeah, but I wasn't the only one! Zed had most of his back burnt off, Elly broke her paw as well, and Lucy just straight up fucking d-" He was silenced by the Riolu as he brought a paw up to his lips and silenced him, motioning to the house's second floor. Nox turned around and saw that one of the windows was open, and even though it was dark inside, it could very well be where Lucy was, and the last thing she needed was to be reminded of that. "Right… still, you get what I meant. We all got fucked over by that thing. Also, real talk, was that the kind of shit you had to fight while the whole time freeze thing was happening?"

Eric nodded, looking extremely troubled for some reason, something that Nox hadn't noticed. "Yes, and that's what I wanted to get at Nox. You aren't ready for the type of opponent that awaits us going forward. Lucy wasn't prepared either, nor was Zed, or Jake… I don't think any of us were prepared for that. We all make mistakes, and what we did that day was a serious mistake, which is what I wanted to get through to you. You need to try and understand the importance of being a l-" He was cut short when a voice called out for them. They both turned to face the house, leaning to the side to look at the veranda, where they saw Elly leaning on the railing, waving at them.

"Hey! Come in! Zed and Serge came back, and they brought a guest with them! You won't believe who it is!" She retreated back into the house, looking really excited. Eric looked at Nox and shrugged.

"Well, I'll tell you some other time, but point is: you'll get your chance when you earn it, Nox. But don't worry, because you're certainly closer to it than you think. Have patience and you'll see, ok?" He patted his shoulder, though the response was certainly not the one that Nox had wanted, he wasn't going to get more explanations that day, that much he knew for sure.

They both walked back inside, and as they turned to face the couch, they saw a pokémon that Eric did not expect to see anytime soon: a huge Slowking taking a relaxing cup of tea and avidly talking with Elly and Jake about ancient ruins he'd been researching. "Heeey! Look who it is!" Eric greeted him, Slew turning his head to look at the Riolu, getting up and shaking hands with the fighting type, a smile on both of their faces.

"Yep, I've returned! I decided to take a few days off, come back home and check on the town. I've been gone for like… six months? You guys weren't even back from your adventures by the time I left, and when I come back you've moved out into a bigger house and have been making your names in other regions? It feels like it's been more than just six months!"

"A lot of things can happen in just a few months, but these past weeks have been specially hectic for us. Wouldn't believe what happened this m-"

"Ahem!" Elly coughed from across the room, pointing at her nose, which Eric mimicked, then catching a whiff of his own sweat, realized what she was on about.

"Ah, right, umm… can you give us a second, we need to take a bath. We just came back from training and all that." Slew nodded.

"Yes, of course, but before that…" He looked at Nox, looking at him from top to bottom, rubbing his chin and inspecting everything, from his posture, the look in his eyes and the coloring of his fur. "You must be the promising youth I was told about before you guys left. You've changed quite a bit from what I was told!" The Houndour looked at him, confused, but before their conversation could continue Elly once again coughed, sending the duo to the bathroom to wash up. Inside, however, were Zed and Serge, trying to scrub themselves clean, and when they walked inside…

"Woooo! Sausage party!" Serge's voice echoed from inside the bathroom, followed by a squawk, most likely motivated by someone slapping him in the back of the head for that comment. With them bathing and the noisier pokémon gone, Elly and Jake breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about them, you can see how crazy things can get here from time to time." Elly apologized, though the Slowking dismissed her worries with a laugh.

"No need, no need! I remember when I was their age I was just as rambunctious, if not more! I am glad to see that not much has changed, even if all you have grown since the last time I saw you. I believe that this interdimensional trip you talked about played a part in that?"

Jake nodded. "Yes, we were taken to another world by accident when Palkia mistook us for a strange man clad in a cloak, who we later came to call the Pursuer. His identity still evades us, but we believe he is related in some way or form with the Terrorist attacks in Flumerc Ars, Pontavicel, the rebellions in Hoenn and what happened in Akil."

"Hmmm… Yes, I heard about all of those. What is happening to the world… You'd think that after the time freeze and how much damage primal regression caused, that pokémon would stand more united than ever…" He crossed his arms. "But if anything it's like it's only divided us further than before!" The two present members of Team Star nodded.

"We have not been around for far too long, but from what we gathered, the attack in Flumerc Ars set many things in motion, starting with an increase in security and distrust in the ETF, and ending with the rise of the Judges of Arceus." Jake started naming off all that had happened in the past few months that they had any notice of.

"Oh it was far more than that, Jake. For starters, it seems the ETFs issues started after the primal reversion cases became more and more apparent. I told Ferrus that he was trying to bite more than he could chew. I may be an old coot, but I know a thing or two about trying to do a lot of things for a lot of pokémon at the same time. Ever heard about the Treasure Town library?" Jake and Elly exchanged a look of excitement, but still shook their heads. "Well, forget I ever said anything then. That was an embarrassing disaster. Point is, you need to know what is well within your limits, and Ferrus sadly didn't."

"That was… when I was going through my depression, right?" Elly asked, and the psychic type nodded.

"He said he would handle all of the cases of primal reversion, which in part, he did. He mobilized a large amount of pokémon and teams to solve the most pressing issues across every region, even Hoenn. His actions were praised at first, but it soon became apparent that something just… wasn't right. And I think you guys can guess what went wrong. Your team was indirectly involved in it after all."

"...The fakers." Elly said after much meditation, an answer that Slew nodded to.

"When about a dozen or something Team Stars started popping up everywhere, promising to help those in need only to run away with loot and stealing, the ETF was caught with its ass up. Sorry for the crude expression but there are barely any sentences that suffice to describe the situation they were put in. The regional governments and the international leaders in Cunabula cracked down on the ETF, and what they found wasn't good. About a hundred or so teams were being formed per week, and out of those hundred, at least forty of them were deemed to be criminals acting under the guise of explorers to make a quick buck. Turns out that to get the necessary personnel to cover so many requests, the ETF decided to lower the restrictions necessary to be a team. The measure, called internally "Article 74", was uncovered, and the media outcry was… awesome, in a bad sense."

"How could Ferrus do something so foolish?!" Jake and Elly were caught off-guard by this revelation, as they hadn't been informed prior to then.

"This was all classified, but being Ferrus' friend he told me this in confidence. I'm telling you now just so you understand what I am going to tell you all when they come out of the shower." There were sounds of shouts and laughter coming from the bathroom, and none of them were interested in knowing what was happening in there. "But anyways, what followed was a massive sanction to the ETF, and many of its former directives were fired. Pokémon that had good intentions and optimistic ideas about this project, Ferrus amongst them. They thought the same you and I did: with the current situation, pokémon would be more lenient to helping others in need, and made an exception.. but it seems we all made the wrong call in judgment."

Jake silent nodded. "Had I been in his situation, I can safely say I wouldn't have trusted so much on complete strangers."

"It's so sad though… I mean, I can understand why he did it though, you need to have hope in pokémon kind, you can't just think that everyone out there is a piece of trash! Heck, you said it earlier that out of a hundred teams, about forty turned out to be bad! There were still more good pokémon bad that ones!"

"But the bad stuck out more than the good, and made things far more complicated. The entire directive was purged, save for Ferrus, who lost his position temporarily, though managed to return to being the chairman about a year and a half later, along with most of the circle that had been in power in the ETF since its foundation. But now he had enemies, both inside and outside the ETF, given that a lot of pokémon blamed him for either losing their jobs and jeopardizing all the work they'd done for the last ten years." Thus, his strange, almost obsessive behaviour while they'd seen him in Cunabula was explained.

"So that's why he was like that. It must've been rough for him, having his own allies turn on him like that."

"Even good righteous men like him make mistakes from time to time. Don't think him to be perfect… it would surprise just how many errors he's made in his lifetime. But regardless, something good did come out of it: what is colloquially known as the Purge."

"That we know about. Rick and Grey, remember them? The Purugly and the Mienshao that helped us in the future and then here when we came back." Slew nodded, but Jake seemed to only remember them as members of the group of survivors hiding in the mines. "We saw them not long after we came back, and gave us a brief retelling of what happened. Apparently, they were one of the teams that were kicked out because of previous criminal records, more specifically Grey's." Jake inquired what it was she was talking about.

"Oh, right… Grey, you remember her right? Well, she used to be the leader of a bunch of goons called Team Skull. The day before the Rebscura attack in Treasure Town, they tried to come for us one last time, but we beat them and locked them up. The next day, her subordinates were all caught in the crossfire and killed by Rebscura, but we managed to save both her and Rick, and from then on they cooperated and helped us. Turned out that they were alright folks! But after Blake and all that, they decided to take it a step further, in both senses of the word, turned the knot and decided to become explorers."

"But the Purge put a swift end to that." Jake concluded.

"Yep. Still, they are in Treasure Town, you've seen them while walking around, living a normal life. I think they're expecting an egg soon too!" That last bit of information drew a smile from the Slowking sitting opposite of them, but that quickly vanished. "But they didn't just go for the criminal records. Remember those tests we had to take before we left?"

"The psychological tests? Yes, I remember you were deeply concerned, as you'd just gone through that depression."

"Yeah well… if they'd concluded I could fall into another depression I may not be here at all to begin with. Psychological profiling became a necessity if you wanted to become an explorer… and that's something that made a lot of pokémon unhappy. You know Mick and Milly, right?"

How could he not? They'd talked with them many times over the course of the last few years, and were dear friends of Eric and Elly's. Mick had evolved in a Persian not too long ago, and Milly into a Monferno… but that still hadn't fixed their most prominent issue: her infertility, a revelation that had shaken Jake's icy heart to its very core, drawing even tears from him. "Well, you know how she can't have kids… turns out that they investigated about it, and found out that she went through a terrible depression as well because of it. And given she hadn't completely recovered after that…"

Jake closed his eyes, a deep silence enveloping the room as her tale finished itself. "And I guess he resigned to his badge too?"

"I remember that day like it was yesterday, and what he said: If I'm not doing this with her, then what's the point?" She paraphrased the normal type's words exactly, words that chilled her to the bone, because of how close they were to their own situation. Had she been found out too, those may have been Eric's words too, and none of this, none of what they had, would be there.

"And their story is just one of thousands. The Purge was a huge blow to a lot of high profile teams, who over the years had gone through terrible psychological conditions, those that had made some shady moves in the name of a well deserved justice, or whatever wasn't considered to be a sparkling record were laid off. Teams that had been there since the very beginning of the organization were thrown out with an apology letter and money. But no amount of money could help them recover what had been stripped away from them. Some took it better than others, saw it as a way to start fresh and move to other, less dangerous careers… others not so much."

"And our sudden return didn't make things better. Suddenly, a team with a very troubled history, with members that violated both laws just returned out of nowhere and got through those tests again, and went back into action... No wonder our popularity plummeted…"

"But we were necessary. Ferrus and a lot of pokémon still see in us a reliable source of comfort and security. A group of pokémon that still fight not for themselves, but for the good of others and the rest of the world. Hadn't we returned, who knows what could've happened to whatever search party was sent to Akil, or if the groups we took down in Hoenn would still be around." Jake's explanations were sound… all around, it seemed that no matter what they did, they still lost somehow, and that wasn't a great feeling for them.

"Either way, what happened, happened. The attack in Flumerc Ars was just the last straw, and the public withdrew their support and turned to something more extreme, that would guarantee that those responsible would be punished publicly and swiftly." He didn't have to finish that, as it was plainly obvious to what group he was referring to.

"The Judges of Arceus…" It all clicked into place now. The negative outlook on exploration teams, their descent in popularity all over the world, Ferrus' stress and passivity and the power of the Judges over the public sphere.

"So that is a summary of what happened to the pokémon we know during our leave?" Jake inquired, and was met with a nod. "...Curse our luck, had we been here we could've done something…"

"Or have gotten caught up in the collateral damage. Who knows if Ferrus would've sent you on those secret missions that only a select few in the ETF are privy to, including high profile teams that stayed close to the direction even through the Purge, so…" Slew finished his cup of tea, humming to himself. "Fantastic tea. What was it again?"

Elly couldn't help but smile at his oddities. "Pecha Leaf."

"Aaaah, the subtle sweet tones should've given it away. But regardless, returning to the topic at hand. Whatever these secret missions are, they are clearly something of great importance. There may be more at play here than meets the eye. Which is why I am here today: to ask a favour of you. I do not want to bother Ferrus more than he already is, but… I require some "muscle" as they say."

Just then, the door to the bathroom swung open and Serge came out running, dripping water from his feathers as a towel whipped at his tail and rear, making him squawk again in pain. "Oh shit oh shit oh shit!" He ran up the stairs as Eric came out behind him, brandishing the towel, followed by Zed, the two of them with smiles on their faces as they readied them. As Eric ran out, he slid on the floor and hit the side of the sofa where Slew was sitting.

"My world!"

"Get back here Serge!" Eric got back up and chased after him upstairs, towel at the ready whilst Zed reverted from his red furred Riolu form and looked at everyone sitting on the couch, going from that smile of glee to pure embarrassment, bowing.

"S-sorry! Serge wa-" The sound of a high pitched scream, followed by two males shouting in pain and then two loud thuds upstairs narrated the whole sequence of events that happened upstairs. Elly sighed and Jake facepalmed while Slew let out a long hearty laugh, their sudden interruption bringing much needed comical relief to the psychic type. After that, they stopped the conversation briefly to let them all dry off properly and place the semi-unconscious Serge and Eric in their respective spots: Eric right next to Elly, and Serge in his favorite armchair. The only pokémon missing was, again, Lucy, whose current disposition had distressed Zed… but that was for later.

"Right, sorry about that… Now, proceed with what you were about to say before we were so **rudely** interrupted." Elly's shout only got a groan out of both males, who'd refused to say what it was Serge had done, asides from very few vague descriptions of teasing and about dropping the soap.

"Oh, it's quite alright! I need a laugh to let out all of the stress, so if anything that was just what I needed!" He was still laughing, something about the scene incredibly funny to him. "But yes, allow me to make my request: As I said, I require some "muscle" or protection. As you probably all know, I've been part of an excavation these past few months in the human ruins underneath Crimsand Desert. We have found a great deal of information and machines that, if we reverse engineer, could help us advance leaps and bounds ahead of our current technological level and improve our way of life. But as you know, there is a large chasm in the middle of the city itself." Elly nodded, she could scarcely remember what it looked like. She hadn't been down there for at least four years, after all.

"Well, we'd been planning to make a party to descend to the very bottom and see what's there, but… It seems that there were others that had the same plans. And they are not part of our expedition."

"Raiders?"

"Most likely. Good guess, Jake! It is such a shame I have been gone for such a long time and we haven't had the time to discourse. Next time, we should meet at my home and discuss more light hearted topics, wouldn't you agree?" Jake smiled, accepting Slew's offer with a nod before the other returned to his explanation. "What was I… Oh yes, the raiders. We believe them to be raiders, but they could very well be something else. We do not know for sure. What we do know, however, is that they have been on the prowl for at least two weeks, observing us from behind dunes up in the desert and from the rim of the entrance."

"Do you have any description of what they look like? Because if you tell me they're shaped like cactuses then…" Everyone looked at the Riolu, beyond confused. He'd never really told anyone about that strange voyage he'd made through the desert, though his words did ring familiar in Elly's ears… still, it had been too long ago and the memories of her travels with Heric and Grovyle were hazy, to say the least.

"No, I believe not. In fact, the most common of these raiders would have to be one clad in a strange black cloak. Bipedal, about two feet high, which is… quite intimidating for one such as I mind you, and with no distinguishable features, which is odd considering that they were standing underneath the burning sun of Crimsand and nobody could tell what was under the bloody hood!" All color drained of their faces when he spoke about this raider, as suddenly the interest of everyone in the room peaked. "But that is not all, they say they've also seen a Sandslash."

"A… sandslash?" Eric asked.

"Yes, a Sandslash. You know, hedgehog looking bipeds with yellow bodies, rocks on their backs…"

"No no, I know what a Sandslash is."

"Oh, what a relief. I mean, I just had to make sure, since you didn't know what a Slowpoke was when we first met." Slew's sincere answer elicited laughter from the others, as Eric's initial ignorance of pokémon species and typing was exposed. He rose a paw to try and defend himself… but simply dropped it once he saw Elly was giggling too.

"Hey, I had amnesia. Anyways, I know who that pokémon is… though not really. I don't think I ever knew his name, but he's known around Crimsand as the son of the desert. Some Sandslash that knows his way through the place like the back of his claw. He was my guide when taking me to the heart of the desert, which… seems to be a really important and weird place."

"Oh! Oh oh oh oh!" The Slowking clapped his hands together excitedly, confusing everyone. "Sorry, I just could not hold back my excitement when hearing that, I am a **sucker** for mysteries, but yes I agree! There is this… strange atmosphere in the air, almost as if you're dreaming, that hits you whenever you get close to that area. And funniest thing is, it's apparently unique to it. The Time Gears had nothing to do with it." This last bit of data surprised Eric and Elly, while confusing the others… since most of them had never seen a time gear with their own two eyes.

"Wow, is anyone else beyond lost right now?" Nox's question was answered with nods from essentially everyone else in the team.

"Well, you all know of the time gears and how they were necessary to restore the flow of time in the world, correct? Well, the areas around them had a certain special… "feel" to them." Slew's explanation didn't cover much else, and everyone turned to Elly for answers.

She sighed. "Well, I don't know more than he does but… I guess it felt like when you're submerged in water. There's this strange light pressure coming from everywhere around you, you feel light headed…"

"And at least with the time gears, it was easy to lose track of how much time was passing." Eric finished, remembering everything he could about the time gears off of the top of his head… only to realize that they weren't the only things that emitted that sort of atmosphere. But that was something he and Elly would have to solve later that night, as they'd promised.

"Yes yes and yes! Well, the city ruins have that air to them. Periodically pokémon leave the ruins and spend a few days outside before going back in. We found out that if one stayed there for too long strange things would happen."

"Strange? In what sense strange?" Eric and Elly had never stuck around long enough to find out, and at this point the others remained silent and listening to the conversation to try and get a grasp of what they were talking about.

"Well, allow me to speak from personal experience, and please do not think I'm lying or that I am insane, but…" He scooted closer to all of them, nearing his face. "It started with lucid dreams, where I could see those cities full of creatures I can't even begin to describe, but that must've irreparably been humans, and pokémon. Those vehicles were moving, the buildings weren't broken and the sky above us was blue and sometimes clear, unlike the sand that covered the whole place. Then, there were hallucinations, where I could see those same bipedal shapes, standing still and tall, looking at you from the shadows, their white beady eyes staring at your back. And whenever you tried to look at them they'd remain in your periphery, just out of view to fully tell what they were but still visible enough to distress you. We've decided to call this the Miasma, for obvious reasons, and it's the reason why our progress is so slow: it seems to affect you randomly, sometimes not very much and you can spend a whole week holed up in there, other cases you can have those hallucinations just after three or four hours."

"Uuuuh… ok? So then… why is it called Miasma?" Nox asked the only thing he understood out all of that."

"Miasma was considered to be a dangerous damaging gaseous substance that emanated from ancient, rotting or otherwise decaying corpses or matter. It was said to induce illnesses, and has become a staple in literature to describe poisons and rancid smells that linger in the air."

"I am going to have to surrender the title of 'bookworm' at this rate, Jake!" Slew laughed once the ice type finished this explanation. " But yes, that is the reason we called it that. It is not related to the air however, as breathing had nothing to do with the increase of the hallucinations, and no toxins were found in our immune systems after a check-up. It seems to be a sort of… aura. Like a field that keeps one from venturing any further."

They all tried to imagine what those effects felt like and what those creatures might look like, and the general consensus was that it wasn't a pleasant thought. However, Serge, for the first time in the conversation, spoke up. "Hold on a minute. You said that this Miasma induces hallucinations, right? So how do you know that these raiders you guys keep seeing aren't just something your minds have been making up? Sounds like that watcher of yours and those ghosts are one and the same."

"Yes, yes, quite… well, we used to think like that as well, but this Watcher, if we are going to call him that…" The use of that title was foreboding to them, if anything. "Yes, this Watcher, acts much more different than they do. For once, not a single time have these things happened once one steps up to the surface. On the desert one can still feel the lesser effects, but the hallucinations and any further effects only happen in the deeper layer. Not only that, but there's the obvious fact that this creature simply remains immobile unless approached, whereas the ghosts… Ok think of it like this. Imagine there's something you can see from the corner of your eye, right? Well, you'd normally try to look at it straight and see what it is, but it moves along with your eye, so it's always in that tiny spot… always. Some have even spoken of strange whispers, so you can imagine what that feels like!"

"Must feel like a million poké… alright legit do we have to do this one? Because I'd rather take a large pass on it." Nox came out clean once the basics of the mission were laid out in front of them. "Specially if it involves **that** fucker."

Immediately, his words sparked anger amongst everyone. "Nox!" Elly's scream made him aware of his mistake, prompting him to cover up his maw. But it was too late for that it seemed… in fact, Slew seemed to be unsurprised.

"I was about to ask. When I mentioned this creature and used the term "Watcher", most of you seemed to react with surprise or shock, almost as if you knew who it is I'm referring to." Not only was his knowledge comparable to Jake's, but his observation skills as well, much to their dismay. "Well, out with it. I will not have you hiding any secrets from me, especially ones that involve the safety of my fellow colleagues and archeologists."

The present members of Team Star exchanged looks of worry and defeat, Serge raising a wing and offering himself to explain what was happening. "That guy… First time we saw him was in the Distortion World, Giratina mentioned him with his dying breath, and Eric saw him right before he and Blake fought it out. After that, he seemed to be gone from our lives for two whole years, until…"

He and Zed showed him their wounds: the Zorua moved his fur to show him the scarred flesh underneath, whilst Serge simply brushed his feathers in the opposite direction to show him his own wound. "A year ago, he surprised us in Mount Horn, after the which we were taken to another world by Palkia. Once there, he got the best of us again and almost killed me and Zed, and wounded the others heavily. By the end, he ended up killing one of the legendary pokémon there, a Suicune, and heavily wounding three more, and I'm pretty sure he didn't take as much as a scratch." Zed didn't stutter as he narrated the horrifying experience, and his words seemed to trigger a reaction in Slew, who looked down at the ground in a mixture of shock and confusion.

"They were there… no that doesn't…" He shook his head. "Ah, that does not matter now. Are you sure that this is the same individual?" He was met with shrugs and shakes of the head. "But you assume it could very well be them?"

"Indeed. In fact, it would make sense for it to be them."

"Just a few days ago, while we were out in Akil, I managed to catch part of a psychic conversation between that Abomasnow and their leader… the voice, the mannerisms… they were the exact same. And they even recognized us."

"So they're still around." Slew hadn't taken this revelation well, clearly distressed. "Then there is no doubt about it, I must ask you to please, please come with me and defend us from this… this monster. The pokémon in the expedition are mostly trained in self defence, but nowhere near skilled enough to stand a chance against someone like that. I don't know what it is they want with us or those ruins, but we must make sure that they don't get their hands on it. The technology down there, while rusted and abandoned, is powerful, and who knows what kind of machination they could awaken."

They all listened to his plight and considered it. Zed and Serge weren't exactly happy to hear that they were going to go head to head again with that monster, Jake seemed to be ready to take his revenge on that Pursuer and Nox had already expressed his opinion on the matter, and wasn't afraid to shake his head and outright state he didn't want to go. "It's suicide. We're better off just grabbing everyone and getting out of there."

"It is a possibility. Sometimes, retreating is the only option to ensure victory." Jake added, agreeing with Nox once again, And even Slew nodded, but was still very much worried.

"Yes, but there must be a reason why they want to go there. If they had some of their men infiltrate the expedition and **they** found something of value to their goals… Guys." He leaned forward. "I don't want some sort of ancient weapon to be used to kill innocents like in Flumerc Ars. I don't want to weight down on my consciousness. I'm not a youngster anymore, and for all I know I may kick the bucket tomorrow, and I don't want to go and have that weighing me down if there's another world after this one."

Only silence followed this final statement, all of them considering what he was saying, and eventually it was painfully obvious that the final decision rested solely on Eric and Elly, who had been quiet, probably in the middle of a private psychic conversation during this whole exchange. Not long after, Eric spoke up. "Everyone… Slew is right. It's too dangerous to let him run around doing what he wants. We need to intervene and stop him on his tracks. We know what he's capable of, and we are all back to our full strength. If we run into him again, we can probably fight and win, or at the very least drive him away."

Nox looked at Eric in absolute disagreement, his scowl making his opinions palpable to the Riolu. Not only was he being a fool in the Houndour's eyes, but also a hypocrite, since the words and lecture he'd given to him earlier while training were still fresh in his mind. "But this is a decision we should sleep over. It's far too important to decide on this so quickly and suddenly, and… there are some of us who aren't too keen on the idea." Elly quickly followed up, then turned to face Slew. "Slew, is it ok if we give you our answer tomorrow? We have had a very… rough day, and some of us came back just earlier from a mission."

"Sure, I can wait. I did not expect you folks to jump to the occasion so early either. I just came back to town, and there are some things that I'd like to check before I'm forced to leave again." He got up, smiling. "Glad to hear that I'll most likely count on with your help, and thanks for the tea, lovely mix." Eric Accompanied Slew to the door, exchanging a few words of assurance and calm before he opened the door and lead him outside. "Well, I will see you tomorrow then?"

"Yep. Bye, Slew." From inside the house, the others repeated the same message and he smiled and nodded as the door was closed on him. The moment he couldn't be seen by the group he turned around and took off for his own house with a hurried step, a look of bother on his face.

" _But… that's not possible, for him to have been in that world and… I have to tell him about this. Fast._ " He reached for his bag and pulled out a long rectangular crystal, which started glowing with the same blue hue his eyes emitted, contacting someone… until they finally answered.

" _Ferrus, we have to talk. There's been a development._ "

* * *

Lucy's screams could be heard well into the night now, having a vicious argument with Zed who, from the sound of his own shouting, wasn't having any of her bad mood. Then again, the morale amongst the entire team had been heavily affected by Eric and Elly's rather controversial decision to tackle such a dangerous mission without apparently giving it much thought, and the Riolu had received some very harsh critiques and counter-arguments from the others.

"You sure this is a good idea, Eric? I mean, last time we went up against him I…" Zed had said this whilst looking at his own paws. While the physical wounds had healed, the psychological ones were still there. Serge was in a very similar spot too.

"Look, I trust you and your judgement, you've gotten us into places where I would say we'd been royally and utterly fucked and gotten out without a scratch but… I think this one is a tad too much for us to handle. Personally, I almost got sliced in half by the fucker. You? Not really sure what you went through with him, but definitely wasn't your chest being sliced open." Serge was right, really. His only fighting experience with that Pursuer was the ambush from the forest, and that was it. And out of that fight he'd mostly gotten out of it with a few scratches and slices, whilst the others took heavy damage, something that still haunted him to that day.

"There is a very small probability we will completely win this encounter if the creature in the cloak is involved. I knew this day would come however, and I have been perfecting a strategy to counter it, but… If I am perfectly honest, I have my doubts as to whether or not it will be as useful. My fears come from our second encounter with them, as their fighting style and approach were radically different from the first encounter." Even Jake was at a loss for what to do at that point, unsure if his strategies would work. Not only that, but he'd taken some heavy attacks from him during that last encounter in the laboratory, and while he was more than willing to go up against him again, his flesh said otherwise, his body and his primal of emotions betraying him as he clenched his elbows and attempted to hold back the shaking.

Nox had remained quiet ever since he'd shouted at Eric in the middle of the conversation, and Lucy… well, Lucy was just absolutely livid for many reasons, one of them being this surprise mission that may very well end badly, but also the events of that morning and Zed's constant inquiries. Most of it comprised of incoherent screaming and rambling, sobbing could be heard as well, and things seemed to quiet down for a bit before the roaring started up again. Hours passed, the afternoon blew by and the sun had set. By now, their bickering had stopped, but Zed outright refused to cook anything, saying he wasn't in the mood, and the others didn't have much appetite. Eric and Elly had remained in their room for the entire afternoon, claiming they were going to bed early… which was only half true.

As the moon was slowly reaching its apex, Elly rose up from the bed and poked her mate's side, thinking that at least he would've been able to get some shuteye before the night's activities… She was dead wrong, as he was just as lucid as she'd been all this time. "Couldn't catch a wink, eh?" He didn't answer, a long frown on his face as his eyes couldn't lift themselves up from the ground. "Eric, I…"

"Am I making the right decisions Elly?" He simply asked, waiting for his mate to answer. "Is accepting this mission a wise choice after everything that happened a week ago? Am I asking too much out of everyone, to risk their lives again and again like this? We'd all thought it was over after Blake but now… it's starting to feel like back then again." He got up, grasping his chest. "That feeling of someone gripping your heart, strangling you, that makes your mouth dry, the pounding of your heart echo in your ears… that same tension." He looked at her. "It's just like back then."

"Eric, they… we all knew what being an explorer meant back then, and it still means the same thing now. We've gotten it easy for a while now, since we haven't had to deal with anything too risky but… Now is when we are needed the most, we can't back down now." She walked closer to him and kissed his cheek. "Now, get your stuff and grab the fragment… we have something to do tonight."

He nodded, her words giving him a tiny boost to his morale as she left the room to check if everyone was asleep, so that they wouldn't suspect anything. When he was alone however, the Riolu looked at his palm and sighed. "Didn't answer my question though." He shook his head. "Now's not the time." He turned around and opened their dresser, grabbing their satchels and his scarf. He tied it around his neck as best he could and then crouched, pulling the lid from the bottom chest up and reaching in. There were many gadgets and things there that they found some value in, but the tiny box hidden within was what interested him. Just to check, as he pulled it out and closed everything again, he opened the lid.

And there it was. The golden fragment they'd retrieved from that ice monstrosity a week ago. They'd refrained from doing anything with it up until that moment as they hadn't found the time, but… With what they had to do the following morning, they needed some type of insurance, something that would give them an edge over an enemy that had experienced the extent of their capabilities. And they hoped that whatever power this fragment would unlock for them would be the key.

Elly returned to the room, looking somewhat worried. "Eric, Zed's downstairs. He's… sitting in front of the fire, and I don't know if he's sleeping or not." She said this in very soft whispers, and Eric closed the lid to the box slowly. Going out the window off of the first floor was a no go if they wanted to do this quietly, and he doubted they'd be able to sneak past Zed.

"I'll go talk with him then, we've got some time." He rose up, undid his scarf so the Zorua didn't suspect anything and quietly tiptoed to the stairs whilst Elly grabbed everything with her powers, but the chest in her bag and locked the door behind her, following Eric. The Riolu was already halfway down the stairs and looking at the dying fireplace and the languid looking Zorua sitting on the couch opposite of it. Sighing, he walked down the rest of the steps, the soft thumps on the wood loud enough to catch Zed's attention as he walked over to the kitchen. "Oi, what're you doing here, up this late?"

"Can't sleep, and… Lucy kicked me out. You?" The Zorua answered back with a whisper, and the Riolu made a motion of him drinking a glass of water and then pointed at the bathroom door. Zed answered with a nod and returned to watching the fireplace. Once Eric was done doing both of those things, he walked over to Zed and sat next to him, looking at the fire. They both sat there for a good five minutes without saying anything before Eric spoke up again. "What is it?"

"Isn't that what I should ask you?"

"You already know what's wrong."

"Tomorrow's mission?"

"If only it was that… I believe you, really, I do. We faced that thing when we were unprepared, but now we know what it can do and how it'll act… Doesn't make it any less scary to be honest, and every time I think back to it my legs hurt right where he hit them." He rose his paws, showing his how they were shaking like leaves, the fear in his body palpable. "It's like my body remembers. But that's not really it."

"Then… Lucy?" Zed nodded. "Her mother?"

"And her nightmares. I know that most people can't tell but… I know her well, Eric, and I can tell she's scared. Really scared."

"I mean… To be honest tomorrow's mission is a very daunting one, I don't blame her for it."

"No, she's not scared of that… Well, actually a bit. She's scared that what happened to her in Akil will happen again, with her neck getting pierced and the blood…" He breathed in deeply, shaking his head. "She's been having nightmares about it since then. They weren't that bad the first few days, since we had so much on our heads back then. But now they're getting to her. Each night she's either waking up covered in a cold sweat of breathing for dear life, and it's getting to me. On the outside she looks like she's feeling alright, but when we're alone…"

Eric remembered that night they'd been staying at Akil waiting for Jake to recover from his mortal wounds. She was dead quiet the entire time, not even taking a bite, and looked like her mind was somewhere else. He guessed that she was behaving like that when nobody, asides from Zed, was looking. "But that's not all. There's also that Luxray that came by today, her mother…"

"Amalra. She… was a real piece of work, I'll give her that. Whatever their story is it's definitely not pretty… but what's got her so bothered about it? It's so unlike her for something like this to get to her."

"Exactly! That's what's gotten me worried, it's just… Unlike her. She outright refuses to give me any details about their backstory, even if I've caught a few details from what Nox and Elly told me, but it's something that's bothering her a lot, and can't even look at me in the eye anymore. It feels like… like she's scared of me."

"Of you?" There was genuine confusion in Eric's voice.

"Yeah I… know it sounds weird Eric, but… it feels like she's really scared of me now, or at the very least afraid for me. Like if Amarla could do something to me, and I could do something to Amarla or to Lucy…" He grabbed the sides of his head, groaning loudly. "I just don't know how to make sense of this situation! I met her back when we were first in her village, and she seemed like a somewhat decent person but… Was that all a façade? She even told me she was happy to be my mother-in-law!"

"From what Lucy said and from what we heard… it's possible that she might've been faking it all along. I don't know what she's got against Lucy or you, but…"

"Did…" It was then when Eric noticed that his friend was sobbing softly, tears of frustration about to run down his cheeks. "Did I do something wrong? Have… I been a bad mate to her? It's what why Amarla doesn't approve of me anymore? Is it because I'm weak, and I can't defend her? Or is it because I'm a shiny?"

"Alright, alright calm down." He placed a paw on his shoulder. "You may have a few bumps in the road, but you and Lucy have been together for almost as long as Elly and I have. Don't let someone who doesn't know you at all step all over that. I don't get why you're so obsessed about being weak and all of that… you're much stronger than any old pokémon with no fighting experience, for starters, but also when you put your mind to it you can be a very reliable and strong individual. And besides, I'll never get this obsession about the male being the dominant one in a relationship. Look at me and Elly: sometimes I'm the one who she leans on for support, and others I lean on her. That's how a healthy relationship works, Zed, and I'm sure that Lucy does that from time to time, like right now. I'm pretty sure she's venting all of her frustrations and trying to lean on you… even if it's coming out as her being pissy and upset about everything. Give her some time to recover and support her, and you'll see what I'm right. And please, drop the whole shiny bullshit. I doubt anyone cares about whether or not you're shiny on not nowadays, and if they do, screw them. Your appearance or the color of your fur and skin doesn't determine who you are."

Eric's words rang true with Zed, whose mood improved little by little. He was still sobbing lightly, feeling down, but at the very least Eric was comforting him with his kind words. "I… yeah, you're right, Eric. It's just that I have problems trying to find… like… You know I hate being in the spotlight."

"Yeah I know, you're a shy little guy, but that doesn't make you less of a pokémon. If anything, I think it's an endearing trait." Those words coming from Eric made Zed blush slightly, but he quickly managed to fight it back.

"T-thanks…" He laid his head against his best friend's shoulder, he smiled and rubbed his head.

"Always there for ya pal." He rose his paw and clenched it into a fist, and in turn Zed did the same and bumped with Eric's. They both laid together and rested for a bit, watching as the fire died out finally. Luckily for Eric and Elly, the exhaustion from the long day of discussions with his mate, plus the mission they'd finished that very morning took its toll on the dark type, and once his worries were lifted, he drifted off to sleep soon, gently snoring on his friend's shoulder.

Eric waited for a few minutes to make sure Zed was sound asleep before slowly moving away from him and gently laying his head on the comfy couch, which would feel much better than his shoulder. Once he was sure he was asleep, he called Elly down through their telepathy and the two walked over to the main door, opening and exiting as quietly as possible, locking behind them.

"What was on his mind?"

"Lots of things, mostly stuff to do with Lucy and their relationship."

"Aaaah, gotcha…" Elly quickly walked around the house and contacted the other pokémon that would join them in this little expedition.

"Serge, come on get down here. We're heading out." It took the flying type about fifteen minutes to poke his head out of his own little private window. Since he lived in what was basically the attic of the house, he'd demanded he has his own little balcony where he could lay around and write during the day, but also with his own window that he could close and open to climb in and out of the house at his own discretion, claiming that 'He was old enough to have his own.' which wasn't entirely false.

"Coming." He whispered as he took off, having closed everything prior to that and swooping down to them as silently as he could. "Can't believe you're doing this in the dead of night."

"We can't let anyone else see or follow after us, unless we want them to find it. And you aren't going to drop us off right at the entrance. You'll leave us somewhat close and we'll walk the rest of the way." Eric jumped up onto his back and then leaned down to grab Elly's paw and help her up.

"Wait, what? Really? You guys don't trust me to keep a secret? Wow, what a bunch of assholes."

"It's for your own good, Serge. If you knew of where it was, who knows what could happen if someone caught wind of it."

"Yeah yeah yeah… Alright, I'll take ya there then. I don't get paid enough for this shit I swear…" He kept mumbling under his breath as he took off, trying to take an alternative route around town avoid any night guards that might be looking at the skies for any weird activity. The voyage took about an hour, as the Pidgeot went at top speed, and because of the strong wind the three of them were forced to talk through telepathy.

" _So, some kind of ancient temple where you get your powers? That's what you guys told me a long time ago, right?_ "

" _Pretty much. It changes each time we go there. Last time we went was with Eric, and it was this weird island in the sky surrounded by clouds, kinda like what you hear in legends._ "

" _Islands in the sky? Pffft, as if. This hunch of handsomeness can only fly thanks to these massive wings, and you're telling me a bunch of dumb rocks can do the same job or better?_ "

" _They're legends, Serge_." Elly couldn't help but chuckle at this comment.

" _And the place you're visiting is just as much of a legend… whatever, as long as you aren't fucking on an altar to disperse a curse I'm sure it'll be ok_."

" _Wait… what? What about lifting a curse by fucking on an altar?_ "

" _Just a story that I read not too long ago. Features a female Riolu and a male Marowak fucking on an altar during an expedition in some ruins. Hilarious shit._ "

" _Sounds like something I definitely don't want to read in my life. Is that what you waste your money on, Serge?_ "

" _Hey, come on, let a man enjoy himself. Not like I'm ever gonna get the chance, unlike you lot."_

" _Alright, we're not having this discussion right now_." Eric finished that conversation swiftly, sighing as the weight of the day's interactions prevented him from being incredibly amused by this conversation. The rest of the flight comprised of mainly small talk regarding the other team members and guild members from town. After a few more minutes of flying around Elly tapped Serge's head.

" _Here is good. Can you go down?_ " The Pidgeot looked back at the Eevee, stopping in midair and descending in circles to avoid going too far off their mark. Mt. Horn was visible in the distance, but there was still a good ten kilometers to walk before they arrived at their destination. "Yeah, this is ok. Alright, Serge we need you to head back home now, and not mention any of this to anyone."

"Not mention… Wow, you guys are being really secretive about this, aren't you?"

"We don't want to run any risks. We'll call you by morning… or we may not. We don't know how it works exactly, so we may appear there next morning."

"And if you don't appear and don't call me?"

Neither Eric or Elly answered immediately, instead weighing their responses, which only answered Serge's question. "Alright, I'm coming, whether you like it or n-"

"Hold on, let us answer. It's been a long time since we last came here, and this place has tried to test and kill us every time we've come here… but we've grown, and we are probably ready for anything it throws our way. Besides, this time around we're taking our time to explore everything if possible. We need to learn as much as we can about this place if it's really so important and mystical."

"Right… Well, I'll let ya do whatcha want, but you better call me. After that, I'll take you both for a drink and show you what I **really** waste my money on." He forced a smile and waved goodbye, then took off into the air. The two leaders waited for the moment he was away from their sight… and waited some more.

" _Serge, I can still feel you, you know…_ "

" _..._ "

" _Serge._ " She repeated.

" _Fine fine… You can't blame for behind worried though, can you?_ " They could both feel that there was genuine concern in his words, but even then they couldn't risk him as well. After talking and convincing him further, the Pidgeot gave up. " _Ok, fine, I can take a hint… but seriously, please, just… Come back in one piece._ " And with that, Elly and Eric felt him fly away further and further away… until he was too far away for Elly to sense his mind.

"I think he's gone." Eric let out a sigh of relief. "Feel horrible worrying him like that, but with what we were told just today we needed to hurry up and get here as quickly as possible."

"Then let's not waste any more time." Elly nuzzled his side to comfort him slightly and began walking. The two stood side by side, with Eric guiding the two of them with his aura, using it to sense the grass underneath them and make out the terrain around them, using this to guide themselves in the dark. It wasn't completely dark either, as the growing moon smiled down on the earth to shine their way towards the large mountain on the horizon. Their goal wasn't the mountain however, but rather that large mount of rock and dirt protruding from the earth. At first glance, it wasn't anything that interesting, in fact, they'd once made camp with the rest of the guild members, and none of them had seen or felt anything strange… but that had changed.

For starters, they both felt the air around them become thicker, almost as if they were trudging through a light veil all around them, binding and making walking harder and feel slower. The light headedness wasn't too far off after that, looking around and finding that dreaded emblem. The emblem that Eric had found on the back of his right paw almost five years ago, the emblem Elly had found shortly after, and the emblem that Heric claimed was not a gift, but a curse. The Emblem of the star, of an importance and symbolism that transcended themselves and their limited understanding of the world they were in. And of course, as before, one of the slots near the bottom was open. It seemed that the emblem rotated to make their access easier, spotting the other four illuminated indentations: purple, red, blue and olive green, corresponding to shadows, fire, water and wind respectively. The image brought back strange memories, that was for sure… and now it was time to delve back in those ruins again.

Putting the emblem into the hole, the Riolu firmly thrust it inside and let the mechanisms click into motion, the emblem spinning again until it was straight, with the newest emblem lighting with a cyan color, not unlike the one from Elly's eyes, though much clearer and cold, reminiscent of the icebergs they'd seen in Akil. The door opened slowly, the emblems retreating to the sides of the door as the main slab of the rock broke apart into two parts, the left sliding upward and the right downward, a complex opening mechanism that Jake would've loved to explore, without a shadow of a doubt. The Miasma increased in intensity as the gates opened, though for as many times as they'd been there, they'd had few hallucinations.

Taking Slew's words of caution into account, they both walked inside. Unlike the last time, the steps led down into the earth, the layout has changed once more. And as last time, any other normal light source seemed to either burnt out quickly, like torches, or burst into pieces. "It's like they give a really intense glow and then burn out quicker than usual… why?" Eric knew as much as her mate about this matter, but when he tried to look through his aura sight… he let out a scream of pure surprise and some agony, opening his eyes again quickly and finding her right beside him, panicking. "What?! What happened?!"

"I used… aura sight. It's like… every inch of space around us is charged with as much energy as the sun. There's energy… pure aura, all around us, flowing through the walls like veins through our bodies, pulsing and travelling around like… like it's a living being."

"Don't say that, even if you're joking." Elly swallowed, looking at the stone steps and stepping on them tentatively. As they'd done many times before, the stone doors behind them shut as slowly as they opened, the duo not having any desire to leave and go back the way they came. Eric sighed and created a light staff to try and find their way through the darkness, Elly sticking right next to him as they traversed the shadows around them.

As they descended further and further down the steps, they noticed a couple of things, the first of which being the whispers and slight hallucinations that were fed by their wild imaginations and dimly lit uniform stone halls around them, giving them a sense of claustrophobia, paired with Elly's constant gasps and turns to try and catch those glances of two certain Eeveelutions, or Eric's eyes darting to look at the faces of a Haunter and a Skitty plastered on the walls, putting them on edge. And as for the second…

They only realized it when they came out to a wide room that the temperature dropped to minus zero, the air coming out of their nostrils and mouths manifesting in subtle clouds of that warm mist of freezing breath. The room in front of them was truly a sight to behold however, a large chapel, eerily reminiscent of where the trial for Elly's innocence had been done, minus the stands, instead replaced with long rows of mirrors all around, a beam of light bouncing between all of them, with the last being broken. And in the middle of the room, large glass panes, several rows of them in fact, circled around the central pedestal in different geometrical shapes. The duo circled the room and Elly managed to determine the shapes: from the outermost layer to the innermost, a triangle, a square and then a pentagon. And once they met up, on the opposite side to where the entrance was, was a ghastly looking statue.

It looked bipedal in nature, icicle looking spikes draping from its arms, legs, face… it was covered and completely encased in ice too, with no distinguishable features outside from the faint outline of the face itself. It was prostrated on its knees, holding out its hands and grasping what seemed to be a mirror like the ones around the room. They took this into account as they inspected the minor details of the room. At every notch of the barrier surrounding the altar was a tall crystal like mirror, differently shaped than the ones in the stands, but awfully similar.

"Maybe… we need to make the light touch every single mirror and that'll make the walls go down?" Elly theorized. It was true that these were the only things in the room, and this was highly probable the solution to the puzzle. Moreover, when Eric touched the pillars, he found them to be loose and capable of turning in all directions. "Right… well how do we get the light beam here is the question." She kept looking around whilst Eric turned the pillars. She inspected the stands with the mirrors and crystals, where the light bounced back and forth, following the beam and eventually ending in a stand where there was a missing mirror. Everything clicked into place after that, but… there was something awfully concerning about that statue holding the mirror that was screaming out to not touch it.

She told Eric of her findings and arrived at the same conclusion, albeit he was far more eager to get his over than she was. "I don't know about you but…. I'm starting to feel cold here. Like… really cold. It definitely wasn't this cold outside, and it was the dead of night on a November evening." Knowing that the Sanctuary wasn't a safe place to stick around in for a long time, the duo began to move quickly. Elly used her powers to tear the mirror out of the icy hands of the statue, turning around and placing it where the empty spot was. The beam bounced into one of the crystals on the pillars, which reflected to one of the far walls. Eric walked up to this pillar and made it turn on its axis and face another of the pillars, the beam traveling above the ice walls and bouncing off the other pillar to go to the third, and once there Eric turned the last one to make it return. The pillars and the walls shook violently and gave off an intense glow before shattering into pieces, the ice floating in the air briefly before compressing into four new pillars, though this time they weren't part of the inner walls.

"What? What's going on now?"

"I think we need to make a shape with the beams now… so they hit all of the crystals on the walls like before. Should be t- **Eric behind you!** " Her screech made the Riolu jump out of his skin, lunging forward as he slid on the icy floor and blinking… to see that same ice statue, now on its hands and feet, curving down and attempting to grasp at where the Riolu had just been standing. However, it didn't budge an inch as they both stared it in a mixture of shock and confusion… though it was looking at the two of them, or at the very least it would if it had any distinguishable features, but its face was lacking eyes, nose, or any other feature that could identify it as a face, which made the scene even creepier.

"What th-" Eric was cut off again when he blinked from the sheer cold, and once he opened he and Elly found that the creature was three steps closer to them. Of course, three steps from that massive leg span meant that it was right on top of them again, icy claws reaching at their necks to do Arceus knew what to them. They both jumped back and made more space between them and the monster. "It moved again! It moved when I blinked!"

"Y-you too? I had to blink just now as well, it's gett c- Don't turn away from it!" They found themselves looking at eachother's eyes, and once they turned to face the creature again, since it had been so brief and it hadn't completely left Elly's line of sight it had only had time to turn to face them again. But now they knew how it worked, and it made the situation even more nerve racking. "Ok so we can't stop looking at this thing or else it makes its way to us… Should we try to destroy it?"

"What if we enrage it if we do that?" Elly's observation convinced the Riolu to not push their luck. "You keep turning the pillars, I'll keep an eye on it, and tell you when I have to blink, ok? I have to blink… now!" Eric kept his eyes open until Elly told him he could blink himself, the two getting into a rhythm as he moved away from his mate. He turned the pillars slowly, falling into that slow pace of looking back at the monster when the Eevee told him, then turning his attention to the pillars when otherwise. Their psychic bond made it incredibly easy to communicate the times with precision, and they managed to keep it relatively in the same spot it had been in before. Each time they messed up, it lunged forward two or three steps at a time, scaring Elly or Eric as they carefully proceeded with the mechanism.

Since the pillars and the walls of the square where unaligned, the pillars opposite of the faces of the square instead of the corners, the thought about making a rhombus shape to hit the corners and keep the beam moving. It worked, and once he finished, it looked like there was an eight pointed star in the center of the room, all pillars and walls glowing as they shattered once more, this time leaving just the final barrier, one with the shape of a pentagon, and five pillars arranged in the same manner as the previous ones: opposite of the walls.

"It's making out a-" Before Eric could say what it was, the beam of light in the room suddenly died out, leaving them in complete darkness for a full second before the light returned. And when it did, the creature had it's icy claws on Elly's head, feeling the cold pressing against her head and fur. She screamed loudly and Eric turned to her quickly, keeping his eyes on it and preparing an aura sphere, launching it at the creature without hesitation. This whole sequence of events let Elly get enough distance between her and the creature, but once the sphere hit it, the ice absorbed it and then returned it to Eric with just as much strength, making him duck underneath as it hit the walls behind him and exploded, the noise echoing around them and making the whole place shake.

"Don't do that!" Elly screamed again, though their eyes only crossed momentarily, and the light did out again… This time it was Eric's turn to shout as he felt something cold stab his ankles, making him fall down to the ground. Once the light returned, he found two icicles stabbed in his feet and the monster turned to face him. The pain was excruciating, and he let out constant shouts as he attempted to get away from it, leaving a faint trail of hot blood behind him. " **Eric!** "

"Finish it for me! You need to make a star with the light and make it align with all of the corners of the pentagon! I'll keep it on me, just finish it!" Eric made another sphere as the light died down and threw it at the monster. The light from the sphere made it possible to see the monster, stopping halfway due to the illumination, the light returning to the room right afterwards. Elly was still frozen in her spot, fear coursing through her veins whilst Eric prepared another sphere. "Go!" His shout snapped her out of her stupor and started turning the pillars, the light beam moving all around the room above their heads whilst Eric was forced to blink. Since Elly was focused on the pillars, the ice creature moved towards him, almost on top of him now.

The light died, making it impossible to tell where the beam would be aiming once the light returned, but Eric felt a sharp pain in his right paw, and once the light returned the monster was on top of him, one of it's claws pinning his claw to the wall whilst the other had wrapped itself around his neck, sharp fingers drawing blood from his tender flesh. If she didn't finish it in the next few seconds, it'd be over. Elly however, had kept moving the pillars, and once she thought she had it all, turned the last one… and the star was completed. She had turned two pillars while it was dark, having memorized the angle, and that had most likely saved Eric's life.

The entire room shook violently as the ice statue remained still, its non-existent eyes staring deep into Eric's own before it crumbled down to pieces, and along for it the rest of the ice covering the room did as well, sinking back into absolute darkness like before, a thin veil of icy mist remaining in the air, lingering around them for a few minutes before seemingly vanishing into the darkness. They both checked their wounds and Eric found himself unable to stand. He wasn't worried however… from previous experiences, they knew that the sanctuary healed their wounds… somehow.

"Alright… let's check this whole place out." With the Riolu sitting on the Eevee's back, trying to keep her from feeling a mild amount of discomfort by shifting around his weight, she carried him around as they inspected the room as best they could. Using Eric's light staff to light up the walls, they carefully observed the runes written all over them, finding absolutely no match or parallel with any other runic language in that world, even the Unown one. It was almost as if it had been completely made up from scratch…. but they knew better than that. Elly wrote down some of the repeating characters in a notebook she'd taken with them in their bags whilst Eric followed the rows and rows of mysterious characters to the very roof of the room, where those strange murals that showed them images of their past, present and future had shown themselves before… he wondered just what they were going to be shown now.

Either way, they didn't stop there, inspecting the ten pillars in each corner of that room one by one, noticing slight differences in the symbols used, but otherwise spotting the exact same patterns. "Is it just me or do these look like oaths and mantras? Like some sort of prayer being constantly repeated, but with certain elements changed to match… something."

"Yeah, I can see what you mean… Wish I knew what they meant." He placed a paw on them, humming to himself. "There's a large amount of energy flowing through these pillars, and the letters seem to be… controlling it?" He didn't know how to put it himself, and he was afraid of using his aura vision, lest it left his blind, or worse. "It's like these phrases are like veins through the which the energy travels, all the way to the top and around…" The use of the word 'veins' didn't help make the comparison between a living, breathing being and that sanctuary any less disturbing.

Once they'd inspected every inch of the room, and only then, did they turn to the central pedestal. It was still around, with that dreaded five pointed star in the middle. Last time they'd been there, Heric had accompanied them and regained one of his powers, while they gained a new one… so the scene brought back some memories of the human, which brought about conflicting feelings that they'd rather discuss at another moment. For now, Eric climbed off of her back and onto the pedestal, and then Elly got on after him. He'd left an alarming amount of blood on the floor and on her back, and seemed kinda pale. The fear that the pedestal wouldn't heal their wounds seeped into the Eevee's body, but he calmed her down with a caress from his paw.

Looking at each other and nodding, the Riolu rose his right paw, and Elly did the same with her left. Immediately, the pedestal began glowing intensely, cyan lines sprouting from it as they flowed all around, making circles, smaller shapes, and flooding those runes on the floor as they reached the pillars and the walls, the runes blinking on and off rapidly. The entire building hummed and trembled gently at first, then rumbled as a light started to shine down on top of them. To his surprise though, something was different this time around: there were no strange glyphs or markings on the walls that depicted different events in time… but he failed to tell Elly of this before the light enveloped them completely, their bodies searing and burning as they lost consciousness in that haze of white.

* * *

To the south of Sinnoh, a massive forest oftentimes referred to as the Forest of Giants had sprouted up overnight five years earlier. In the midst of the time freeze crisis, however, this event had been overlooked quickly in favour of the more impending threat that presented primal reversion and time itself ceasing to exist. After the dust had settled and society recovered from the heavy blow to its population, however, the fact that a forest with trees taller, bigger and thicker than normal brought major scientific attention, especially since, once again, it had sprouted overnight.

That very same night, five years ago, Eric had flown towards the opposite side of the region of Serge's back in hopes of finding and saving Elly before he was too late, leading to the fateful events of what was considered to be one of the ominous beginnings to a year in recent history. There was no logical explanation for the trunks' abnormal thickness, how the land and the soil hadn't been completely uprooted or destroyed, and the heavy scent of the pine trees that essentially bombarded the moist soil underneath, a place ideal for crop farming and the growth of life. The Forest of Giants, or Giant's Forest had been called so due to the fact that it seemed like those trees were more fit for creatures thirty times taller than a normal pokémon.

Certainly, they were extremely intimidating, and were unfit to even harvest. A tree had once toppled, though none knew it had been due to Eric's actions, and that had caused massive damage and an impressive earthquake. Due to the potential threat of further incidents if there wasn't any upkeep in the forest itself or its surroundings, it was decided that a group of pokémon would move to the heart of the forest and stay there. Permanently. The idea, received skeptically at first, evolved to that of a tree keeper village through negotiation, and soon enough, many across the regions, mostly those that hoped to have better prospects and lives than in their own cities, left for the mysterious forest and founded a thriving village called Evergreen.

That was the village Vincent was headed to. He needed to retrace his steps to track down Indomatia, and the last place they'd crossed paths was in that very forest, albeit before it had grown to such tremendous sizes. He'd been walking and following the barren dirt trails that snaked around the massive trunks and exposed roots, some of which were large enough to allow one to walk under, leeds and vines hanging down, like a curtain of green life itself. He appeared calm and collected, but within he was delighted. It was such a stark contrast with those dreary snow mountains he'd been stuck on with those… He shook his head, thinking on other things and other pokémon. It'd been nearly a week since then, and he still couldn't get over that whole sequence of events.

The words of that Abomasnow crossed his mind, pulling off the silk gloves that covered his hands, and looked at the emblem on the back of his right hand. "Elementals attract… other elementals…" He clenched his fist, bringing forth blue rose petals, which he looked at nostalgically, then shrugged. "That means I'm gonna meet up with them again, aren't I? Pche." He kicked a rock and fit his hands into the sides of his cloak. "What a pain in the ass." It was then when he noticed that he was rambling to himself, and decided to stop almost immediately. "Talking to myself like an idiot, of all things to be doing right n-"

The movement of some bushes beside him brought him back to his senses, his root blade bursting out from within his bouquet of blue roses, glancing at those bushes, mystified. It was then when noticed he'd strayed from the normal path, and had set course for what some considered the true heart of the forest. Originally, that's where the village was supposed to have been built, but a thick mist and the abundance of overgrown plants made traversing the area near impossible without severely harming the environment. Sure enough, the vegetation around him was much thicker, but one would be an idiot not to see the obvious signs of damage.

Broken branches, scratched trees, squashed bushes… the inner sanctum of that forest looked like something completely different from before, like some brutal battle had recently happened. The bush beside him shook once more, and the sound of something sliding around was heard, and without missing a beat he lunged into the bush, raising his estoc and thrusting it while pushing the bush out of the way. He only found grass, dirt and what seemed to be a long straight furrow across the dirt, trailing around the tree and out of sight. He visibly relaxed once he saw this: whatever it'd been had run away in fright, and he doubted a normal pokémon would dare walk around that area.

Letting out a sigh of belief he turned around… And then pain blinded him, something cutting into his body from behind and impaling him. He could only let out a weak groan before he was flung against a tree and his consciousness faded into black, a disturbing hiss from the depths of the forest…

 **Alright, if anyone is still reading this fic, which… to be honest, I'll be surprised if I have any readers after a surprise 3 month hiatus, I'd like to mention a few things. I won't go into specifics as to what happened, since it's my private life, and I doubt people actively care, so I'll talk in broad strokes so that many can at the very least, relate to the sentiment.**

 **For the longest time, ever since I entered college, I'd been working really hard to achieve a certain goal, something that I'd been really excited about ever since I heard of it when I was little, and to fulfill one of my fantasies. However, like with any dream, it came with many string attached, mainly monetary. I am not the wealthiest person in the world, though not the poorest, otherwise I couldn't afford the computer I use to write, but it was certainly a very huge investment for myself and my family. Because of this, I had to get a job, and the preparations for this goal, as well as my new job, on top of the stress generated by school and life made it very hard to sit down and focus.**

 **Still, it was all going to be worth it in the end… except that** **bureaucracy** **got in the way, and my chance to fulfill that dream is shot, or at the very least, postponed until a very uncertain future. I am prepared for disappointment as much as I am for success, that was the mindset I took when I start writing on fanfiction, and I am glad I made the decisions I made. Still, it was a terrible blow to my slowly deteriorating mood, and to be perfectly honest writing was the last thing that crossed my mind.**

 **It may be selfish, but I simply could not help it. But alas, I am back, the situation has been resolved, and things are looking up once again. To those that thought I was dead or any of the sort, don't worry, because I'm not… officially at least. Haven't checked my pulse lately.**

 **Tl;dr: life happened for the umpteenth time, but now I should have enough time to focus on this again, and I can hopefully deliver to you guys the story that you're hopefully waiting for.**

 **Thank you for understanding, and I'll see you all later!**


	10. Chapter 7 - A Cry for Help

**Aaand we're back from my unannounced hiatus! I had to take a few months off and alternated between writing and not writing because of stuff I did this summer, mainly travelling around my country and meeting a lot of nice people! Writing fell back into the background and when I came back I had to wait for a bit for this chapter to be beta'd… Nevertheless, I hope you guys like it!**

 **By the way, this is one of two chapters that cover events that take place the same day, so expect the next one at the very least before the end of this month! (Probably sooner)**

 **Chapter 7**

 **A Cry for Help**

 _ **Venture into the forest, find foes from ages past.**_

 _Numb. Everything was numb. Couldn't breathe. Couldn't see. Couldn't think. Brief moments of lucidity, of consciousness, of understanding. Eggs. Creatures. A thick, viscid atmosphere, submerged in an unsettling penumbra. Suddenly, a gentle caress. The rose. It was back. Praise. It couldn't understand the words, just the sentiment. It couldn't express its own emotions. It had none. It just was. But it wasn't. Something that shouldn't be, but was._

 _Corrupting._

 _Bodies hanging limp. Forest canopy. Hollow corpses on overgrown grass. Eggs to fill that forbidden void._

 _The putrefaction of life._

 _The permeating stench of death._

 _Life. Death. One and the same. There. Now. A roar to the self._

 _And then, it started again._

* * *

"Wake up!" Eric and Elly both snapped to consciousness, embraced in their bed, a sheet covering them ever so lightly to shield them from the cold of the night. But that wasn't the case anymore, as the rays that filtered through their window were those of the sun, and not the moon. Before them stood a very ticked off Pidgeot. "Geez, you weren't kidding when you said that place was weird… but this is just nuts. I've been standing here calling you two for twenty minutes straight! I even poured some water on you, and you **still** wouldn't wake up!" That explained the cold shiver that washed over Elly's body when she snapped to consciousness before, and explain why her fur was an absolute mess of tangled, wet hairs.

" **Seeeeerge!** " The Pidgeot ran like his life depended on it… because it might've very well done so at that moment, seeing that the Eevee was absolutely livid, slamming the door shut behind him.

"All I wanted to do was help!" Once he was gone, screaming as he made his way to the bottom floor as quickly as he could. Now alone, the duo recomposed themselves and checked their marks as soon as possible. As they expected, they'd changed: Eric's was harder to see, since the new color was cyan blue, not unlike his fur, but Elly's was better hidden by her thick fur, though once she located it, she found the new symbol waiting for her, confirming their trip to the sanctuary the night prior.

"It worked… It wasn't the same though, was it?" Elly asked, trying to think of the word that she and Eric usually learned after a visit to the sanctuary that allowed them to use their new power.

"No, it wasn't. There were no markings, no prophecy… And I didn't get any word or spell. Did we do something wrong?" He got out of the bed and tried to think about the circumstances surrounding the sanctuary, what had changed since then and now… And couldn't put his paw on it. "We got something, and the markings tell us that, but we didn't get a spell… so are we supposed to use our new abilities?" The two of them tried to come up with an answer, and Elly decided to use her own powers to see if she could find something to guide them… but when she used the first spell they'd ever gotten, absolutely nothing happened.

"Huh? Umbra! Ignis!" She stood up, screaming the words, but neither a shadow sphere nor a flamethrower surged out. "Oh no… Eric we've lost our powers!" The news hit the Riolu like a bucket of cold water, staring at his mate whilst ideas and thoughts whistled past his head, closing his eyes and sitting down on the floor. He let out of a huff, grasping at his fur, trying to think and come up with a solution, all whilst Elly kept freaking out, unsure of how to handle these news. Suddenly, he stood up, summoning an aura sphere and using the least harmful spell he had at his disposal, whilst Elly panicked.

"Wait, Eric, not in the-" The sphere changed from the usual blue hue to a transparent whirlwind of wind, faintly visible as it reflected some light. They both looked at each other, the Riolu unsummoning the sphere. "It… works. The words themselves don't work, but when you think about the element itself…" And so, he tried to think about cold things, focusing his energy as if he was trying to summon an aura sphere. However, nothing happened, and he found himself holding his palm out at the window to prevent any serious damage.

Elly did the same, but nothing happened with any of her old powers too. "Well… it's like we've lost some of our powers, but we've managed to keep some… Why? We needed to become more powerful, not weaker!"

"Elly calm down… something weird is going on, we need to figure out why. First, let's go down, have breakfast, relax and try to clear our heads, then figure out what's happening with our abilities." He was nowhere near as calm as he seemed to be, Elly knew him well enough to know that he was a bit more conserved when it came to his emotions. Because of this, she decided to breathe in, relax and do what he told her. She fixed her fur as best she could before going downstairs, and even then her new "look" earned a few glances from the rest of the team. But they weren't the usual looks of complicity or teasing that they received from them whenever they had a night of passion. The feeling was there, but there was also a hint of underlying contempt, something they could take a guess what the origin of was.

"Morning. You two look like you had fun last night." Nox greeted them, somewhat bitter.

"No, we didn't. Serge just threw a bucket of water on Elly's face to try and wake us up."

"Which didn't work… you were sleeping pretty well tonight, weren't you? Since you don't have to worry about what's going down today."

The Riolu stayed silent, trying to avoid falling into Houndour's terrain. He knew what he was implying, and Eric was trying to avoid giving him the reaction he wanted. He walked over to the table, pulled up a chair and sat down, waving at Jake and Zed, who were sitting around it, the ice type reading the newspaper and Zed handling cups of hot chocolate for everyone. Neither of them returned the greeting, making him sigh. "Nox, we didn't do anything last night, and we barely slept, like the rest of you. So please j-"

"Oh, so you didn't sleep either, that's awesome. Hey, since none of us got the amount of rest we need to, you know, perform well, how about you call off today's suicide mission? Maybe that way we'll be fucking alive later tonight t-"

"Do you have a problem with you doing your bloody job?!" Eric snapped and slammed his paw on the table, everyone in the room turning to face him. "If I have to remind you, this is what you signed up for a year ago when you joined the team, and I didn't hear you complain!"

"At no point in the last year did you make us go on a mission as stupid as this! Last time we fought this fucker he almost skinned us alive, and you're expecting me to go up against him?!"

"We're back in our world, Nox, and things have changed! Elly and I have our-"

"Oh! **Oh**! Yeah, sure, you and Elly have totally gotten back your powers and you think you stand a chance against him… but last time, if I remember correctly, there were sixteen of us and he almost handed us our asses on a silver platter!"

"He got the jump on us, we didn't know what he could do an-"

"Eric **he killed a fucking legendary!** And he knew what he could do, what his abilities were and he still got straight up murdered by him! If a legendary couldn't stand a chance against him then what the fuck can w-"

"What are we supposed to do then?! Just stand by and let him down whatever the fuck he damn pleases? We didn't become explorers to sit on our asses and take care of the scraps, Nox! We need to step up and confront the missions and dangers our way, as dangerous as they may be!"

"This guy isn't in our way, he's standing besides it! You're going out of your way to fight this guy for no fucking reason!"

"Didn't you listen to what Slew said yesterday about the ruins?! What if he gets his hands on an ancient weapon or worse?!"

"You honestly think there'll be something that powerful that's still functional in ruins that are as old as the hills? This all just sounds like a shitty fucking excuse and a stupid way to die, and I don't have an-"

"With that attitude the only thing that's gonna happen is that one of us is gonna get our blocks chopped off." Serge walked in on their conversation. "But kiddo, you didn't even get a scratch on you when you fought that fucker, meanwhile I almost got sliced in half, so I don't think you have any right to say jack shit in this situation. Besides, he ain't immortal: I hurt him as much as he hurt me, and if we coordinate ourselves we can bring him down… that being said, I agree, it feels like we're going a bit out of our ways to get at this mother fucker."

"What are we supposed to do then? Slew is a good friend of ours, and he's helped this team more times than you think… and you expect us to leave him hanging when he needs us most?"

"Dunno man… the way he said it it's not really a pressing issue, and we may be trying to take on more than we can chew Eric."

"So what is it, are you all just scared? Is that it?"

There was a long awkward silence, but of course, with being as fed up as he was, Nox snapped again. "Yeah, I'm fucking scared, because this guy can and will cut our fucking heads off!"

"No different than a week ago while we were in Akil! What's so different about it this time?!" Eric's shouting was getting to Serge as well, who was rubbing the bridge of his beak.

"Well, for once, we didn't know what the fuck we were going into in Akil, and to be honest, we'd gone for so long without anything that really… threatened us, you can blame us for being shaken by all that!"

"Like hell I can't!" Eric got up, hearing these excuses was making him even angrier than before. "I told you all not to get complacent, not to lower your guards, and to take this seriously every day because of this!" He looked around at everyone. Not a single pokémon, not even Jake, could look at him in the eyes and tell him this wasn't the case. "Right now, with what's happening around us, we can't afford to stand by and let the Pursuer do what they want."

It was around this time that Elly got out of the bathroom, with Lucy close behind her, the two females having heard more than enough from the discussion, and Lucy having her own input on the matter. "It's fucking suicidal. Like hell I'm putting my neck on the line like that again after what happened…"

"Well, tough luck, because this is our job. We have to go out there and do what we must."

"Alright, you can go and do that then, go and risk your life, but none of us, in our right minds, want to go do this mission. There is no reason for us to do this mission! There is nothing down in those ruins for them, for us, for Slew, for anyone! We're thinking about risking our lives for no reason whatsoever!" The sparks were flying between the two, and Elly was looking at her mate with concern. A lot of things were coming down on him at once, and she was scared he might snap, her fears reassured when she heard what he said next.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have joined this team, Nox, if that's the attitude you have towards missions."

"It's the attitude I have towards _suicide_ missions."

"Both of you, stop." Her stern voice went unheard by everyone else.

"I wish you'd been there when we had to go into the distortion world, would've loved to see you running off with your tail between your legs."

"Fuck you, I would've gone there any day of the week if it meant saving the world or dying trying, but this is fucking stupid, we're just going to some forsaken ruins to get our fucking blocks chopped off!"

"Both of you, stop right now!" Things were starting to escalate now between the two, and at this point everyone, even Lucy, was afraid of saying anything, lest that ticking time bomb growing between the two males would blast off right in their faces.

"No, I don't think you would've done a whole lot of good back then either way, you would've just gone in first and gotten yourself killed, you useless fire breathing moron."

"Oh, you want to test how strong these flames are you big headed fucker?! Come on, right here, right now you son of a b-"

" **Stop, both of you**!" Elly screamed at the top of her lungs, stopping the discussion dead on its tracks, though before any of them could say something, someone knocked on the door. "Oh thank Arceus… someone go get the door. And you two better stay quiet." There was a certain stern tone in her voice that told the Riolu and Houndour to do what she told them to, lest there'd be serious consequences.

"Fucking literally saved by the bell… Can we get some grub going?! Come on Zed!" Serge flapped his wings in front of the dark type and snapped him out of his stupor. "I'll helpcha out, Lucy, tag along too."

"But-"

"Good lord, woman." He forcefully bent over and pulled her towards the kitchen with his wing. The only way to fix this situation he decided was to split off the team so that things would eventually cool down… putting Lucy to work on something would keep her from joining in against Eric. Elly huffed and sat near the table, whilst Eric walked over to the door, opening it with a scowl on his face. "Residence of Team Star, how can I h- Chatot?" The name of the guildmaster's right wing man made everyone's heads snap to the entrance, where he stood with an awkward look on his face.

"I… um… am I interrupting something? I heard screaming before, and I could have sw-"

"No no no, it's nothing, don't worry. What's wrong, you look pale." Eric put on his best fake smile, which didn't help cool Nox's anger, as he dismissed what he thought was a legitimate point behind such a facade.

"Oh, well if you say so… But anyways, we have a special request for your team, and it is an extremely urgent matter!" He suddenly went from mild discomfort to outright stressed out. "Just a few short hours ago, we received a distress signal from Evergreen, in the Forest of Giants, and all of our attempts to further contact them have been met with failure. To make matters worse, all of our teams are out right now, and the police cannot undertake such a request and leave Treasure Town without a large chunk of their force. You are the only team who can go there right now, please! We know that you are not under the orders of the guild and you're an independent team, but please, we need you to do this, otherwise the Guild will lose face and financing an-"

"Arceus dude, do you ever shut up? The message got through the moment you told us." Serge's ever so eloquent way to speak shined through and ruffled Chatot's feathers, snapping him out of his apologetic phase and straight into ire.

"Oh what would you know about how necessary the team is right now, you small brained pecker!"

"Oh come on, you've already told me that one before. Running out of insults, old timer?"

"Old timer?! Why I'm going t-" His voice got obnoxiously loud in the span of two seconds, enough for Eric to raise a paw and stop another conflict, the stress from earlier already building back up and making it hard to speak without sounding aggressive.

"Alright alright, let's cool it down, you two… Right, going back to what you were talking about, something about a distress signal from Evergreen? Where's that?"

"Eric…" Elly sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "How do you not know this stuff?"

"Oh, I don't know, we were gone for a whole year, Elly?! Besides, I'm never the one using the goddamn map, you are!"

"You don't have to shout at me, I'm not at fault here, mister!" Her response was sharp and dry, groaning in annoyance. "Whatever: Evergreen Village is a very recently built village in the heart of the Forest of Giants. Since it was such a strange forest, filled with hundreds of rare specimens and even more new species of plants, it was decided that a research commission would be sent there to settle down with their families, merchants, farmers… basically, create a village in the middle of the forest to act as a destination for weary travelers and facilitate the investigation of the forest and the botanical life that dwells within it."

"And they've suddenly gone mute just after an ominous cry for help… Doesn't sound good in my book." The Riolu said, looking at the rest of his companions, then at the bird. "Look, Chatot, we'd love to help but we have t-"

"You aren't going to say no, right? I know you may have some important missions, but our guild's reputation depends on it." He grew somewhat concerned and serious as he stared at Eric's eyes, and the Riolu didn't even have to turn around to know that some of his own team members were glaring daggers at him. "Can… we take this somewhere else, Chatot." The flying type looked at him, confused, but conceded, the two walking out to the street for just a bit, leaving to discuss these matters alone.

Nobody followed them outside, but once they were gone they too had their own private discussions, the Pidgeot sitting down and holding his head. "Oh my god he's going to accept another mission isn't he? And we're going to be split up and going to that fucking desert and the forest alone…"

"Come on, he's not THAT stupid. Even if he's an asshole." Elly found the Houndour's comment to be uncalled for, growling.

"Call him an asshole again and I swear to Arceus Nox you're going to get a good talking down." She sounded absolutely livid, and there was nothing the team feared most than an angry Elly. Because of this, they all opted to stay quiet and wait, any hunger they might've had that morning vanishing in the blink of an eye. Minutes passed, and the clock struck eleven, the point at the which Eric finally walked in, looking pale, almost as if he were to pass out, walked over to a chair and sat down. He looked at everyone, looked at the table, and sighed.

"We have a new miss-"

"Bullshit we fucking do!" Nox was the first to spring up, Serge slammed his wings on the table, got up and walked away.

"Fuck's sake… Really? Fucking really? You let him sweet talk you into this shit?" Eric gave him a look of utter defeat and nodded, the flying type groaning and heading towards the door. "Where is he, I'm going to give him a piece of my fucking mind."

"Don't. It won't be worth it, and he already has enough on his plat-"

"Then give me a goddamn good reason why you're splitting up the team for the most dangerous mission we've had in ages."

"The Judges are sure to be present in the forest." He looked up. "That good enough reason for you?" The blue pokémon looked utterly defeated. "There won't be any official representatives for the ETF there outside of some newbie teams and two higher officials to direct operations. That's it. The rest of the force will be made up of the Judges… and mercenaries."

"The fuck?" The Pidgeot looked at him, flabbergasted. "Do they seriously not have a single fucking team in the entire eastern part of the region?"

"That's available at the moment? No. We're already overworked as is, Serge." Silence followed his words, and he sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore… we can turn down neither mission, but at the same time without all of us going together to the same mission we can effectively fail both."

Once again, silence fell over them. "So let me get this straight… If we don't go to the mission in the desert, we risk the terrorists getting their hands on some long forgotten human tech could bring about chaos and result in even more deaths, and if we don't go to the mission in the forest, the Judges will most likely get all the credit and put us in a shittier situation than the one we are already in." Zed rationalized, putting their situation in words that everyone could understand. Once more, however, Eric had to make a decision, and say who would go to each mission.

"That's right." He rose up. "Look, if some of you don't want to go to the desert, that's fine, you can go to the forest, but I'll be going to the desert alone if I have to."

"No way you are. I'm going with you, Eric." Elly immediately positioned herself besides her mate.

"Dude, Eric, you're essentially committing suicide if you go there… Come on, use your damn head already, even Serge agrees with me on this!" Nox once again tried to convince the Riolu, but one glance at his eyes told him all he needed to know. "Damn it man, why are you so fucking stubborn. I'd rather go to the forest, if anyone has to go there, then I'll do it."

"Then tell you what. I'll go with you Nox." The Pidgeot quickly spoke up. "The forest isn't too far away, about half an hour or something by flying. By the time we finish, you guys will probably be getting to the desert, so… If we can finish the mission there quickly enough, I can fly us over to the desert or before you get there altogether." His idea was sound, at least on paper. But Jake found a problem with it.

"Will you be able to find the strength to carry yourself and Nox to the Giant's Forest and then back across that stretch of land and further to the north? It's probable that we'll get to the desert late in the afternoon, and the trip to the forest, while not as long, will essentially mean double the distance, in addition to the ground we've covered. There is no way you will be able to catch up with other team in a reasonable amount of time." The Sneasel's argument was incredibly compelling, and shut down whatever hopes and expectations the Pidgeot might've had.

"Well… I'm still gonna try it either way."

"If that's the case, then… I'll go with Eric." Zed sided himself with his best friend, remembering the conversation they had the night prior. He simply couldn't let him walk off into danger like that. "Lucy, what are you going to do?" He looked at her, worried.

The Shinx seemed to be about to start hyperventilating: she really wanted to go with the others to the forest, and her body was screaming her to not choose the other team. But when Zed had proclaimed his choice… she just couldn't help it. "Fuck it. Just… fuck it. I'll go with you, like hell I'm letting you get hurt on your own. Besides, I only fought this fucker once…" She let out a nervous laughter. "I'm sure I'll be able to hold my ground… hopefully." She didn't sound too sure about herself back there, but alas, it seemed that the only pokémon without a team was Jake, who seemed to be awaiting Eric's orders.

"Jake, who do you want to go with?"

"Whoever you think will need my help the most. Perhaps your team may find they require my assistance more, or perhaps the other way around."

"I think you'd do more with Serge and Nox. Your observational skills might come in handy when trying to figure out what happened in Evergreen." Jake nodded, and looked at Serge and Nox, the teams having been settled upon. "I'll say this once though: be extremely careful. We cannot grow anymore complacent than we already are, or else what happened this morning could repeat itself. Am I clear? Treat every mission from now on with the utmost importance and seriousness."

"I could say the same to you guys… Don't get yourselves killed, for the love of Arceus." Serge sighed. "Damn it, where's Vincent where you need him."

"Oh don't tell me you've developed a crush for him just after he helped us out once!"

"Did not, did not. It's just that the ability to heal up essentially any wounds is pretty fuckin' handy. You all saw how he healed Lucy right up, and how he basically saved Jake's life too. Like… that stuff's impressive, as much of an asshole as he was."

"Perhaps… but alas, we cannot depend on him now, nor ever. Given how quick he was to run away the moment Ferrus got slightly involved, I'm pretty sure he's anything but a saint. Anyways, do we all agree on these teams then?"

"I guess…" Nox still didn't seem to be too content, and Lucy was still showing signs of distress and nervousness. Outside from these two however, if the others had something to say or were unsure still, they didn't show. Once it was all clear and they all agreed, they had a quick breakfast, through the which not a single word was uttered outside of pure necessity. Eric seemed deep in thought, along with Elly, and it was probable they were talking with each other then and there, Zed's gaze was lost in the ceiling, Lucy kept poking at her food, Nox had chewed it down appetizingly, and finally Serge and Jake knew better than to scoff at the succulent meal before them and gobbled it down, knowing they'd need the strength for what lay ahead.

* * *

Serge groaned and closed the door behind them. Being the first ones to leave, as the others were waiting for Slew to come around to let them tag along, they headed for the guild immediately.

The building had undergone quite a lot of rebuilding and reforming, especially after what had happened to the original. As always there were a lot of pokémon walking up and down the road, clogging up the streets at times. The new building, unlike the older one, was completely above ground, with various floors and shapes, the front being oval, and the back being a large tall building with the iconic wigglytuff at the top.

The front was similar to the old ones, with a large wooden gate, albeit it was essentially for decoration, as two large wooden doors served as the true entrance to the guild. The inside had been built to try and conserve the look of the original, albeit it was extremely difficult since it was no longer underground.

The floors were no longer the natural stone, but rather wooden planks, the main reception having two large boards on both sides: one for the criminals, the other for more mundane missions. The reception in the middle had Chimecho and Chatot working together, attending all of the pokémon that came to deliver missions or requests, ask questions, and other bureaucratic needs. He approached the desk, followed closely by Nox and Jake, cutting the line and making a beeline straight for Chatot. "Aight, little bird, we are the ones that Eric sent to respond to the distress signal."

Chatot turned to face the Pidgeot, then looked at Jake, and finally Nox, who was too short and he had to look over the counter. "I… Not the entire team? This is an extremely important assignment!"

"Oh, hey Serge!" She greeted the Pidgeot with a smile. "Hello, Nox and Jake! Long time no see!"

"Hey." He acknowledged the psychic type whilst the other two started up some small talk, catching up with her. "I'm pretty sure Eric told you of what other mission we have. You literally couldn't have given us this assignment at a worse time."

"Is it really that dangerous? I'm sorry, but I didn't know that, and Eric didn't tell me either… he was rather vague about your mission. Either way, I'm sure you understand that this mission is just as important. We could be facing another terrorist attack in Evergreen, and the ETF cannot afford to ignore another one of those, lest we lose all of our current support, which is already infinitely smaller than before."

Serge slammed his wings on the desk in turn, snapping the others out of their conversation. "Right, well, I don't give a Rattata's ass about the support and popularity rankings. What matters to me is that when I come back home later today I find all of my friends in one piece, or that I don't see one of them missing and the others bawling their eyes out."

"Well, perhaps I should remind you that the money you're paid and that you need to eat and live comes from the funds we obtain from missions, and is relative to the support that the ETF receives! Not caring about either of those is downright stupid, unless you're telling me you can live off of the air!" The Pidgeot bit his tongue, knowing that prolonging the discussion could end up badly for both of them.

"Alright… we'll finish this some other time. We don't have any time to spare if what you told Eric is true. Where do we go, and who is there." He asked for the information right away, hurrying Chatot and hitting the desk. "C'mon c'mon!"

"Yes yes! You're so quick to change the conversation topic when it doesn't interest you, aren't you!?" He chastised the Pidgeot for his immaturity once more and pulled out some more documents. "We don't know precisely how many mercenaries will be on site, however, the ETF has offered as many teams as it could, and unfortunately, this included newly formed ones. Some of them have previous experience, others don't. They may look young, b-"

"Young?" Serge threw his head back, huffing. "Are you going to make me change diapers Chatot?"

"It's a recon mission in an area that's never given us any trouble. There's the possibility it might go wrong, yes, but that's why they have sent expert teams, such as WMD, and the sort."

"Then why are we necessary in the first place?!" Eventually, his constant berating got to the point where it felt he was actively trying to get on Chatot's nerves… and it was working.

"Have you not listened to what I just said?! Besides, you're Team Star, you're known all across the region, it'd be strange if you didn't at the very least show up to help! And besides, and this is what I was going to get at: The Judges will be there, and not just any judge… we received confirmation that the high judge, Tharmius, will be there." Silence befell not only the group, but the entire room, and the name of that Kommo-O was uttered. "Do you understand now? If there are any pokémon in the region that are better prepared to tackle whatever he may have prepared… it is your team." Serge considered telling the others, about to reach for his crystal. Tharmius being in the field was a huge game changer for a variety of reasons, mainly their own decreasing popularity and the rise of the Judge's influence. Sinnoh was essentially the only region that didn't have too much activity from them… but it seemed that they seemed to change that.

"Funny they showed up only after they learned where Elly was…"

"So your mission, as you can probably guess, is twofold: find and exceed the Judges at finding Evergreen and try to sway the opinion of the public in our favour."

"Gotcha… Alright, this just got interesting." Serge picked up the papers and handed them to Jake so he'd put them in the bag. "Anything else?"

"Treat this mission as seriously as possible, and do not, under any circumstances, lose sight of what is important, and don't let anyone distract you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nox asked, finally speaking to the guild's second in command directly.

"Mercenaries won't care about who does what, they're only out for their pay. The ETF has inevitably resorted to some, some of which were previous explorers, but others may have gone there with… less than pure intentions, like getting in the way of the investigation in favor of the Judges." Nox exchanged a nervous glance with Serge, who didn't seem fazed by this. With the papers secured and inside Jake's bag, the group looked at Chatot and thanked him, turning around to head for the exit. "Be careful."

"Oh come on, when have we not been careful? Except all those times when we've almost died." Serge dismissed his worries with a wave of his wing and a confident smile, though when they were out of his sight it vanished, replaced by a frown. Nox and Jake shot him an inquisitive look, and he just crouched down and rubbed their heads as a sign of affection. "Listen up, I'm just going to say this once so when we're there it doesn't come up: We all want to hang Tharmius by his unmentionables, but we need to be tactful this time around. Any slip up and it could be Elly's head on a silver platter, got it?"

"Right… but talking about mercenaries, when Chatot mentioned that I couldn't help but think of th-"

"Let's hope they don't show up, ok?" All three of them knew exactly who the Pidgeot was referring to, and their only hopes were that the mercenary they'd met in Cunabula didn't also appear. "Thanks for the concern, but either way, I'll be fine." The two of them nodded, and satisfied, Serge got up and looked up at the sun. "Hope the others have set off by now, it's almost noon." His two companions climbed up onto his mountain, Nox struggling a bit.

"Oi Serge, fuckin' lower yourself, I can't climb on like this." Serge groaned and got down so that the Houndour could climb on.

"No upper body strength, man you really need some training."

"I do believe Nox has plenty of upper body strength, but rather he's just too lazy to put it to use. Now, we should depart immediately. As much as I would like to pay my respects to the deceased, we simply do not have the time." Jake's words made the group look up at the hill where the guild once stood.

"Almost the end of the year and here we are, risking our lives… whatever, we don't have time to think about that, or think about all of those poor pokémon." With that, he spread his wings and took off into the skies, flapping his wings periodically as they soared away from the sun and towards the massive forest.

* * *

"The Giant's Forest, or Forest of Giants, one's preference does not matter… This mass of canopy, life and trees sprouted in a single night almost four years ago, and ever since has been observed and investigated as a natural wonder and phenomenon, becoming a notable scientific hotspot due to the variety of new vegetal wildlife that has appeared: plants with amazing and equally terrifying properties, the strength and durability of the wood, and the sheer amount of biological life all concentrated in just a few square kilometers. Its beauty is only comparable with that of the Valley of Origins."

"Valley of Origins?"

"Come on, kiddo, the place that was at the bottom of the large crevasse in Cunabula. We were there for like a whole week, and you didn't even know what it was called?"

"Hey, it's not like they even let us go down there, so…"

"Of course not. The Valley is considered to be a sacred place, and revered not only by the followers of Arceus, but pokémon worldwide. It is understood that descending into it or otherwise trying to contaminate it is a serious offense, worthy of incarceration. Furthermore, records of pokémon going down to the valley are… confusing, to say the least."

"Confusing?" Nox inquired as he looked at the ground below, since they were pretty high up in the sky.

"Yeah, I can take up from here, because I'd written an article or two about this, used to be a journalist, remember?" He smiled and looked back at them. "Yeah, me neither, so don't give me those looks. Anyways, here's what I remember, and let's see if you find this familiar: whoever goes down there starts feeling nauseous about halfway down the ridge, further down your body starts seizing up, trembling, and a bit further down you may start bleeding from every hole on your body… and yes Nox, that includes your dick." The Houndour visibly shuddered, which made the other two chuckle. "I digress: those that come back up are usually haunted by visions and other hallucinatory episodes for about a year or two, which more often than not, is enough to make them go bonkers."

"And the episodes I assume, are as strange and complicated as those Slew described from the Buried City?"

"Bingomato, prize for the ice type that did his homework." Serge swooped down, approaching the forest and lowering himself. "Not only that, but that's the same feeling we all got when we were in that shrine at the top of the mountain a week ago. This Miasma thing seems to be everywhere these days, and that begs the question, what do all of these places have in common to have this 'Miasma' thing." Serge looked down at his own shadow on the earth, pondering about all this and more.

"Well, I believe it's too early to draw a logical conclusion… But they are all strange places in this world, places that came to be through strange circumstances or that on their own, are strange." Jake looked at the high forestops, so lush and thick that it was impossible for one to peer inside and see what lay underneath. "Not unlike this forest..." Serge looked up at the sky, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes, almost expecting to find the answers up there, drawn in the shapes of the clouds, but like their own future, it was all blurry.

"It's the one thing I hate and love about life." He suddenly said. "Every time I fly I look both up and down. You know why?" He didn't wait for them to answer, and didn't expect them to: they knew it was a question that only he could answer. "I look down, and I see the world that we have, the one we're trying to fix. Then I look up, and I see the world that awaits us: blurry, uncertain, infinitely terrifying, and may be empty… But god damn if either aren't beautiful." They stayed silent for the remainder of the flight, flying close to the treetop, letting the wind blow in their faces, bringing them relief from the harsh light of the sun

"We have arrived… there should be some sort o-" Serge suddenly veered to the right as he felt someone approaching from behind, suddenly a bolt of black flying past them, nowhere close to try and harm them, but reflexes took hold at that point. Jake and Nox held on for dear life and Serge stopped in the air, flapping his wings to keep height. "Oi, you fuckface! Watch where you're going!"

The pokémon that had flown past them stopped and turned to face the trio, raising an eyebrow. "'scuse me? Old man, there's more than enough space for the two of us here, so don't go complaining ab-" He suddenly cut himself off, flying closer, uncomfortably close, inspecting Serge and his two companions. Upon closer inspection, they were a Staraptor with hazel eyes and tuft of feathers on his forehead to match. "Wait a minute, are you…" He then noticed the necklaces hanging from their necks, and his face lightened up. "Holy shit, you are! Team Star's Serge, Jake and… Shit, I forgot your name."

"Noooox! Come on how do you forget MY name?!" Nox pouted and laid on his back, looking away from the newcomer, who just closed his eyes and sighed, apologizing.

"Well to be fair, you haven't been part of the team for that long from what I know of, and you weren't there when these guys saved our world! Oh, man, I know that like, everyone's crazy about Eric and Elly, but I've always looked up to you, I've read all of your books, enjoyed all of them, all your articles a-"

"Whoa whoa whoa, simmer down man." They couldn't really do many gestures with their wings, or otherwise they'd plummet to the floor, but the look of bewilderment on Serge's face was hard to hide. "What do you mean **every** book?"

"Yeah, like… every single last book you've ever written!" The Pidgeot could already hear, no feel the growing smirk on Jake's face.

"Ummm… even the Lover's Cage series?" Just the title itself earned him a muffled chuckle from the ice type.

"Oh yeah, especially that one. Oh man every single time Richard does her in t-"

"Aaaalright then that's a part of my past I never thought would back to haunt me, I'm sorry for everything, and I'll see you around, bye!" He disappeared from his sight before Jake burst into laughter, and… it was quite a long laughing fit.

"Oh my goodness! Someone enjoys that filth?! I cannot believe it!" He kept roaring and rocking back and forth on Serge's back, cackling like mad, hitting his back and holding his face as they descended towards the forest's entrance, and by then he was still laughing like a maniac, even as he was dropped to the ground with a growl from Serge.

"Down you go." Nox landed more gracefully, confused.

"Something I've missed?"

"Nothing that should concern ya, kiddo."

"Oh nothing, just the embarrassment to literature that are his initial works… poorly written, glorified erotica."

"I don't know what's funnier: the fact I sucked at writing, like everyone does at the beginning, or the fact that you know what they are and what happens in them!" Jake's laughter died immediately as he stood back up, coughing.

"It was purely for research purposes, and for the sake of having an argument such as this rise again."

"Whatever you say pal…" He waved at him with a dismissive wing, walking into the woods, ignoring the blatant blush on the ice type's face. "Now, Forest of Giants… any of you got a map or sumth-"

"Oiiii!" The Staraptor wasn't willing to let them get away that easily however, reaching them shortly after they'd landed, but unlike Serge, he hit some branches and ended up crashing into some bushes, disappearing from sight with groans and yelps of pain. The trio waited for a second for him to come up, though once they saw his wing pop up and him saying "I'm ok!" they went back on their way into the forest. "Wait! You guys are heading to the meeting point for the exploration, right?" They turned to face him, shaking leaves and twigs out of his feathers. "I can show you the way!"

"...Right, of course you can." Serge rubbed his beak, sighing. "Well, you can stay ahead of us and show the way, but keep the fanboying to a minimum, ok?" He pointed a menacing wing at him, and the poor kid nodded. By that point the Pidgeot had guessed he was just as young as Nox was, probably a tad older, but otherwise as naïve and impressionable as one could be… if his tastes in literature were anything to go by. "Right then, let's move out, umm…"

"Antoine. Friends call me Ant though, but you mister Serge you can call me anything you want!" The trio behind him stopped on their tracks, the flying type feeling the glares from his companions.

"Umm… Ant's just fine." " _Alright what'd I fuckin' do to deserve this?_ "

" _Well, write a bunch of frivolous, erotic novellas, putting yourself in debt to an absurd degree, being an all around annoyance… Do you wish me to read you the full list?_ "

" _No, Jake, we don't need it…_ " Serge attempted to distract himself by looking around the forest. The entrance itself was rather beautiful, albeit unsettling in certain ways. For starters, the signpost at the entrance guiding one into the forest seemed to be in the process of being overgrown by the twisting leeks, a sign of the lack of care, vines dangling down above them, looking more like a jungle rather than a forest. The further they went in, the more and more foliage they'd find eating away at the road, making it rather difficult for someone as big as the flying types to traverse through.

"So, this whole place popped up in just one single night? How?" Nox attempted to break the ice with their new companion, who merely shrugged.

"Anybody's guess pal. It was on New Year's too, just to make it even more confusing. I won't deny, it's made a very beautiful place, wouldn't mind living here… Though I'm slightly glad I ain't, given that the entirety of Evergreen's just up and vanished." He looked back at them. "Glad to see it won't just be mercenaries, newbies and the Judge guy."

"The Judge g-"

"Oh here we are!" Ant pointed ahead to a clearing where about thirty pokémon were pacing about. Various species, some of them grouped together in two larger groups: to the right, they were bunched up in smaller groups, talking with each other and laughing, while on the opposite side, the pokémon were split up, silent and staring each other down, save for one standout figure: A Kommo-O, clad in white robes which was having an intense debate with some others.

"...Well, of course, I do believe that the situation in Hoenn is inexcusable. And I don't care what the newspapers say, but sadly it's become nothing but a cesspool of trouble and terrorists. It's such a shame too, with such illustrious history."

"It's like that everywhere though, especially after the Purge…" One of the pokémon he was talking with, a Drapion, sighed in exasperation. "What is the world coming to."

"Indeed, it is a shame… but perhaps today's mission shall serve as an example for future collaborations…"

"Ugh, just hearing him speak is making me queasy." Serge held his stomach, faking discomfort, almost as if he was about to vomit, letting the Staraptor in on their relationship with the high judge. However, the smile on Serge's face disappeared as quickly as it showed up when Nox hit his side, then pointed to the far, far left. And there they were: as if playing some sort of divine prank, Serge's worst fears had come true, as the cloaked figure that had attacked him was standing right there, glaring daggers at him. He recognized them by the shape and size of their cloak, about as high as Eric, but they were equally, if not more intimidating than the Riolu himself, and that was already quite an achievement.

And to make matters worse, they were the focus of everyone's gazes from the left sight, the conversation that Tharmius was having ending abruptly, prompting him to turn around, then smiled. "Ah, what a pleasant surprise! If it isn't Team Star, or at the very least, part of it… I shouldn't be surprised to see you here, willing to help with this investigation."

"And I guess we shouldn't be surprised to see **you** here Tharmius, what with how prone you are to being a pain in our asses"

The dragon type chuckled. "I see you're still quite sore about the trial debacle… I know that words won't be enough to excuse ourselves, but even when we offered monetary compensation you refuse it!"

"Don't think Elly and Eric have any use for your blood money. And speaking of those trials, still doing some serious damage control, eh?"

"Regrettably. The roots of Martin's Conspiration ran deeper than anyone expected, and as of a week ago we have been analyzing every case handled by them to determine whether those rulings were fair or the evidence presented was fake. We have your lawyer and the ETF to help us with those cases too." He was being as calm and collected as possible, not a soul moving or saying anything whilst the dragon type spoke, taller and bigger than even Serge, who was already quite massive. "And speaking of them, I would've expected them to come, instead of you three. Did something happen?"

"Oh, no no no, they've just got better places to be at before dealing with your bullshit, Tharmius." Serge knew that they weren't supposed to be looking for trouble, but it was just one glance at Tharmius' smirk and he felt like he was boiling over. Nox and Jake weren't better off, but they were staying rather quiet too.

" _Serge, stop, it would be better to avoid this line of dialogue. He may our enemy, but today it appears we must work with him_." Jake was right, but he really, really wanted to just smash that face in, if anything to pay him back for all the stress he'd caused them during those two painful days.

"Now now, let's not get hostile. It is not in your best interest to trade blows with me, and in turn, I have no need to earn more scars than I already have."

"Dunno, I think one more across your stupid face would give you more character."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Oh no, just giving you some beauty advice, I feel like you could use some to, you know, cover all of that shame up."

"I like you, you're not afraid to speak your mind."

"You should at least take me out to dinner before popping the question, you know? How about an ass whooping to start off the night?" At this point the two goliaths were standing right in front of each other, and the tension in the air was so thick that some pokémon were holding their breaths, even their cloaked mercenary was tensed up, ready to spring. Sensing that the situation could only get worse from there on out, Nox quickly ran over to Serge and pushed him away.

"Dude, cool it, we don't need to do this right n-"

"You two, break it up!" A voice suddenly called over to them. A large Stoutland suddenly walked in between the two, taking advantage of the gap Nox had made to completely separate Tharmius and Serge. "In fighting won't help the inhabitants of Evergreen, and I will not tolerate your domestic arguments in this expedition, am I clear?!" He glared daggers at both pokémon, then turned to the members of Team Star. "Badges." They showed him their crystals instead, which normally should be enough, but… the canine wasn't convinced. "What, are you three a traveling circus or something, carrying those shiny crystals around?! Green ranger, red ranger, blue ranger?! Show me your damn badges now!"

Nox and Serge rolled their eyes and asked Jake to pull out their badges from the bag around his waist, which he offered up to the Stoutland so he could examine. "Aaah, Team Star eh?" Suddenly absolutely every single pokémon, explorers and mercenary, turned to look at them, their gazes changing: explorer's full of admiration, the mercenaries' filled with contempt. "Well, I'll have you know that you won't be receiving any special treatment with me! You hear me?!"

" _Holy shit, where'd they find this fucker? A military camp?_ "

" _He is ever so slightly reminiscent of the stereotypical drill sergeant I have seen in many novels, such as Complete Lead Vest."_ Serge couldn't hold back a chuckle as Jake said this, remembering the infamous drill sergeant from that novel quite well. And as he expected, the Stoutland lost it.

"Did you just laugh?! Did you just laugh you fruity ass hatchling?! I'll pluck your feathers and make a goddamn mattress out of them, where I will grab your wife or mother, whatever, fuck her on the mattress, and then put all of those feathers back on to your body, you hear me?!"

" _Dude, ew._ " Nox didn't even find that hot, even if it involved sex in some way, and the mental image of a featherless Serge, whilst amusing to Jake, he resisted the temptation to laugh, and Serge opted to stay quiet so that they could move on from this weirdo.

"Damn straight. Now, as far as I am concerned, this will be enough to carry out the expedition. Will we have any more reinforcements?!" Nobody said anything, not even Tharmius, who simply leaned against a tree, opposite of Team Star, and looking at the high rank explorer. "Very well. My name is Hammond, and while you are working in this expedition I will be your fucking god, you hear me?!" Once again, silence, except for a few "Yes sirs!" coming from the explorers off to the right. "I don't think I need to explain why we're here, do I? We all know how to read, right?! If so, then I'll tell you what we're going to do: we are going to split into groups of three, and we'll move into the forest separately!" He reached into his bag, laying a bunch of crystals onto the ground. They were awfully similar to the ones Serge, Nox and Jake had. "For the purposes of this extraordinary expedition the ETF was provided us with several crystals, one for each group! Come on!" Pokémon slowly approached to grab at them, the most notable out of them being Tharmius, who reached down, his crystal becoming a deep purple in color, whilst the cloaked mercenary didn't bother to reach for one, its eyes still stuck to Serge, who grew uncomfortable with every passing second with those eyes staring him down.

"Everyone got their crystals then, are you all organized?" The leaders of the smaller teams nodded. Tharmius was going along with the aforementioned Drapion and a Weavile, which Serge recognized as the former leader of Team AWD, a prestigious team before the Time Freeze and the Purge: Arbok, one of their key components, went primal and was murdered, and shortly after their team was suspended and disbanded by the Purge because of their sometimes unethical practices. The leader's eyes were piercing right through Jake's, perhaps surprised to see another of her species there. "Then **move out**!" The explorers turned tail and dashed into the forest. They may have looked young, but they looked well trained. The groups of mercenaries left he clearing shortly after, Tharmius glancing at the members of Team Star and dedicating them a serene smile before disappearing into the brush. Once all of the beginner explorers were gone however, their "drill sergeant" visibly relaxed.

"Alright, you three, move out as well." His voice lacked the visceral and aggressive undertones that it had shown earlier, which surprised the trio. "You'll have to apologize for earlier, but with you lot being here, the last things we need are in fighting with mercenaries and also keep those newbies from bothering you."

"So you opted to adopt the drill sergeant persona to show authority and keep everyone in line, using it as proof that no matter our rank outside of this mission, it wouldn't matter in this situation." The Stoutland nodded.

"Nothing personal, of course."

"No offense… god damn, that description's gonna stick with me." Nox blinked, trying to get that mental image out of his head, having poor luck so far. Serge looked around, and once he saw that the mercenary wasn't nearby, sighed in relief and patted the Houndour's back.

"Well, that's not the most disgusting thing you've seen or heard in your life, now is it Nox?" He smiled. "Now, let's get going, we've got a job to do."

"I'll be moving into the forest with the more inexperienced teams. Watch your backs out there: we are the first to arrive after the alert was issued. Note down any abnormalities, and should you run into any of those mercenaries, stay out of their way. Unlike us, they are not bound to any organization or code, and in some cases, morals."

"Gotcha. You guys look out for yourselves too. It's gonna be tough, having to babysit all of those kids." Hammond smiled as Serge said this, glancing at Nox and Jake before turning around.

"You've got your work cut out for you as well." And with that, he sank into the bushes, disappearing from sight.

"Oi… what'd he mean by that?"

"Means he thinks that I'll have to babysit both of your asses through this, so how about you guys prove him wrong and you don't make this whole thing harder than it already is, eh?" And with that, he too set off for the forest, pushing away twigs and bushes as the group set out like the others.

Normally, it'd be as easy as following the path into the forest that had been specifically carved out, but unfortunately such a strange place wasn't that simple. The forest, as they'd soon understand, seemed to have a mind of its own in terms of landmarks and any sort of sign that would tell them where they'd been and if they'd been there prior. Everywhere they looked it was the same: green, grown, yellows here and there, decaying leaves crushing under their feet, stepping onto the fertile soil of the Forest of Giants, the air heavy with that wet, sticky and smell of rotting plant matter. So thick, it felt like one was biting right down on it, tasting the muddy dirt, pearls of humid air resting on their furs and feathers as they hacked and pushed their way through the lush vegetation. The once clear path was long gone, replaced by the chaotic canopy that seemed to threaten them at every step with those pointy twigs, thin leaves, and tangling vines draping down.

Even though the sun was at its apex in the sky, the treetops and leaves were so close together, competition for sunlight was fierce, and so they fought to raise the highest and take just a few more rays of sunshine than the others. It was because of this that down where they walked, there was almost no light, constantly enveloped in this faint mist, originating from the humidity in the air, small particles of what seemed like a mixture of that same decaying matter and small drops of water floating around, keeping them constantly fresh, the chilling cold of a December morning sinking into their bones.

"Brrr… If I'd known it'd be THIS cold, I would've gone with the others!" Nox couldn't even stick close to Serge because his feathers were covered in those drops of water, piercing what little fur he had and sinking into his flesh and making him tremble more, trying to warm himself up through his flames, though of course being careful to not light everything up and burn the entire forest to a crisp, which would make a spectacular fire, and would definitely warm him up.

"You'd rather deal with that cloaked guy?"

"You know, thanks for reminding me of that fucker, I appreciate being here a lot more now… oh, speaking of that we should prob-"

"Hey, it's clearing out." Jake called the two of them to look forward, pointing at the clearing that was opening before them. A few more meters and the group came out to a beautiful pond. That wet, murky scent became even more accentuated as they reached it, though it was certainly fresher than before. That faint green glow was replaced with watery blue, the sound of water flowing distant, probably a small stream somewhere. The ground wasn't completely even, so it was possible it was the resting place of some far off river.

"Wow… alright, now I can see why people would like to live in this place." Nox said, his worries about the cold and the cloaked figure to gaze upon the environment around him, mesmerized, by the sights around him.

"You do?" Serge lifted a muddied leg, wincing at the look and texture, then shaking it off. "Don't see the appeal on being up to your waist in mud but… eh, I guess I can live with it for now. Now let's get going before I catch something."

"Ummm… I was about to suggest we stay here, eat something, and then pick up the pace again. I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving."

"Agreed, it is quite a beautiful spot, and would make an excellent pit stop."

"Ummm… guys, the whole place's covered in mud, how is this a good spot."

"Let's just find a place that's dry, or I can just…" Nox's heat increased fivefold and the mud underneath him dried up almost immediately, allowing them to sit down, relax, and eat the berries they'd packed with themselves, eating and enjoying their little stop, though soon it was over as quickly as it began. Once they picked up everyone, felt satisfied and full, then got up and walked away from the clearing, or rather, where on their way to leave before something whistled through the air. It quickly embedded itself on the tree before them, the attacker having intentionally missed to alert them to their presence. Which they did.

The weapon seemed to be transparent, clear, filtering the light into the dirt underneath, before it slowly fell apart into bubbles and tiny strings of water, before eventually disappearing. But by that point they were all turned around and looking upward at the attacker, and to their surprise... it was the cloaked mercenary.

"You!" Nox growled and crouched down, ready to pounce and attack, but a wing from Serge stopped from getting any ideas, instead glaring at his unwanted followed.

"You didn't aim to attack us, you were just trying to call our attention… You're not someone who attacks from behind without telling us first." He took a few steps forward, leaving Jake and Nox behind, who hurried to catch up, but he turned to face them. "This is my business, you two, stay out of it." Once more, he faced the mercenary. "What do you want?"

"I believe I said so back in Cunabula, Kaze. There is a handsome reward on your head, and I need the money." He could feel the figure smiling under that hood. "Nothing personal."

"Right… though I'm going to have to insist, that I am not Kaze, and there isn't a bounty on my head, not anymore at least. I paid all my debts, and made sure to tie up all loose ends with mafias or loan sharks… so basically, whoever gave you the bounty was a lying sack of shit! So run along now!" Serge seemed done with them, but the hired assassin seemed to have other ideas.

"I believe you know **exactly** what I'm talking about, Kaze. Though perhaps you need something to jog your memory… maybe something like the name Aiko." The feathers on his body were immediately ruffled, and his eyes widened to the point where they might just pop out of his skull, getting the desired reaction. "So it did jab your memory, Masaru." He began to breathe quickly, panting, he seemed to be deep in thought, quite perturbed by the name the mercenary had just mentioned, shaking his head, becoming more and more nervous until he suddenly seemed to realize something, whispering something that nobody could hear. He then turned to face them once more.

"Get down from there, you bastard. I want to talk with you. Face to face." They were sitting on a branch, legs crossed, and once again they seemed to smirk, the air of superiority in their voices giving them away.

"Of course." They then leapt off, falling downward toward the middle of the pond, but instead of simply crashing into it… they stopped right on the surface, gently touching down on it as small ripples moved outward across it, making everyone tense up, though it didn't affect Serge that much, since he was as nervous as he could be.

"Tell me, what did the pokémon that gave you this assignment tell you!?"

"Everything that was necessary, omitting some information he deemed unnecessary. I'll have you know he didn't even blink when he essentially ordered your execution." They crouched down and sank their right sleeve into the water. Slowly, but surely, they rose again, but this time another blade of water appeared. A katana, about as long as their own arm, drops dripping down as they slowly rose it and pointed it at Serge again, menacingly as the ripples in the water returned, growing in intensity and frequency, the air around them changing completely, from serene and calm, to oppressive and downright terrifying.

"Serge, we must leave… something about this pokémon…"

"I know." He'd felt it in his own face, how they'd mercilessly beating his beak in the first time they'd crossed paths and without breaking a sweat. He already knew they were skilled, but seeing them breaking the laws of physics like that, and creating what looked like a solid blade out of water… that was anything but normal. And there was only one explanation for all of this. The new angle made it easier to look under the hood, blue skin and a wicked smile underneath.

"Well? Will you surrender, Masaru?" They turned their blade, smile growing wider. "Or will I have to take you by force?" There was a long silence in the clearing, neither side even dared breathe… before Serge cracked a smile and darted forward in the blink of an eye, swinging his wing at them, aiming to kill. But he knew he wasn't going to hit, he was just giving them his response. And they seemed to be ready for it. "Expected… this will be interesting." And before he could hit them… they vanished. He sliced through the cloak, cutting it to shreds, but hit nothing at all, splashing on the water and quickly flying up to avoid sinking in, looking around for their attacker. Just like that, in the blink of an eye, they were gone.

"Wha… where'd they go?!" He looked around frantically, behind him, above him, left, right, front, back… not a hint.

And then she struck.

"Serge, the water!"

( **Ushiwaka's Dance - Playing with Ushiwaka - Okami** )

He had just a split second of reaction time to see the Frogadier leap out of the water, boosted by a jet up to his own level, swinging wildly with two swords as they threw them at him, missing entirely as he flew backwards and away, making more blades out of thin air and the water that they'd dragged up with themselves, blades flying across the air, piercing the trees and branches, around them, cutting everything in their path, then falling back down to the water, once again not sinking into it, standing up and drawing up two more blades from the water as the others still around the pond burst into hundreds of drops of water, filling the air with colors of a rainbow as the light bounced between the drops, a breathtaking sight for all three of them.

Serge landed and barely managed to take in the colors before the Frogadier was on top of him, bringing both blades down on his skull, leaping to the right and quickly swing back to block a follow-up strike, putting distance between the two, even though at the end of the day they were at arms' length. Jake and Nox didn't hesitate and charged in, but the mud gave their intentions away, and the Frogadier quickly dropped back, leaving the blades on the mud as they stood on their hands, kicking at their faces and throwing them back before reassuring their original position, though at the end, giving away a tiny detail that Nox caught on to: they were a girl.

They were both flung backward, landing on their backs and sliding across the mud. "Nox, Jake, stay out of this!" Serge quickly rain to try and blindside her, but he met with her left blade, which she changed to hold backwards, following up a knee to his gut and attempting to cut his head with a crushing blow, flying backwards and sliding on the mud, panting. "This is my fight!" The water type didn't let up with her offense, running at Serge again and crossing her blades, dissuading him from attacking her head on, flying up and trying to put some more distance to have time to think. Instead, she simply spun and groaned, tossing her left katana at him, easily dodging the projectile… though the moment it passed him, he seemed to think it was over, when it clearly wasn't. He'd suddenly hear a hissing noise behind him before it burst into water as it exploded outward, sending him crashing down to the mud again, getting a faceful of the sticky stuff that made him gag.

Just as soon as he'd spit everything out he returned his attention to his opponent, who attempted to crush him again with another vertical slice, which he quickly dodged and parried the subsequent horizontal, coming from the right, though before he could move in she spun and came from a completely different angle, again attack from the bottom right, her tip grazing his flesh and drawing blood under his wing.. Not content, she kept attacking, this time coming from the left as she dual handed her blade, delivering brutal slices and attacks that would've cut through his flesh like butter hadn't he blocked them with his wings, sounds of metal striking and scratching together echoing through the forest as the two of them became a whirlwind of slices and silvery cuts: she attacked from the right, he dodged to the left, parrying the afterward blow, being forced to stand back and throwing an attack himself, only for it to be blocked and pushed away, leaving him open once more or dangerously parried and placing him in a more dangerous position.

She sliced upward with both hands, forcing him to block and look downwards to predict the trajectory of the next attack, but didn't see her anywhere. Knowing where she was by process of elimination, he quickly looked up and fell back once, letting her stab into the floor, her sword sinking into the mud as he thought he had his opening to move in and at the very least get a scratch on her, but she simply smiled and rolled away from the sword, taunting him to come closer. Having learnt his lesson, he smiled and simply jumped above it and using his wings to get some air superiority before coming down. To his dismay however, he saw her close her eyes and bubbles burst forth from her open palms, two more blades appearing as she took a hold of them and blocked his blow.

"What?!" He was about to curse her and her family, but she began to push back against him, forcing the Pidgeot into a struggle that he had to bent down to even contest, which in any situation would've been an advantageous position, but unfortunately that wasn't the case this time around. She had two very heavy looking black and gold armor pieces covering her arms and wrists, and what looked like gauntlets on her hands. They were small, perfect to fit her hands and protect her from clashes like the one she was in with Serge.

"You're not bad… but still mostly disappointing!" She pushed up and attempted to move in, but Serge quickly slashed down, parrying her and walking sideways and away from her, whilst she chased, striking with ferocity. "Is this the height of your skill, Kaze? I'd heard that your ancestors could clash blades with the mightiest warriors of my clan!"

"Couldn't give a damn about those old piles of bones." He then pushed up against her and forced her to back up, as he advanced, his left wing swinging and slashing upwards, downwards, moving quite quickly, then took a step back, wind gathering around him and slashing past her with blinding speed. However, she was quick to stop the slash with her own blade, which was sliced in half, then used her remaining one to continue the fight one handed. "Besides, I'm not exactly a traditional fighter!" he took off to the air, vaulting and diving straight against the Frogadier, wings and blades clashing as he flew by her, this time a tiny scratch visible on her cheek, the wound drawing cheers from the two onlookers, only to be silenced by a brief but intense glare.

"Cretins…" She kept trading blows with the flying type, but caught on to his strategy and feinted to the left, striking him in the side with a visceral kick, knocking him out of the air and back to her terrain, where she threatened to follow her barrage, swords flying left and right, up and down, advancing as Serge lost ground… and eventually, against all odds, and with a spectacular upwards slice, she cut right paw his wings, leaving him defenseless as he fell back. Both were panting, the bird lying in his back looking at his opponent whilst she stared him down, raising a blade…

( **Stop the music** )

Nox started moving before he noticed, trying to pounce her, but she just had to move to the right and kick his underside. "Trash!" She just as quickly turned around and sliced an icicle in half, stopping Jake's advancements on his tracks. Nox wasn't about to give up though, and before she could deliver the coup de grace on Serge, he opened his mouth and blasted her with fire. The heat emanating from her blindside alerted her to the Houndour's plan and quickly crossed her blade before her, blocking the strike and seemingly victorious… only before the water in her hand turned from lukewarm to scalding, but she didn't have time to drop it either, as it bubbled, steam whistling outward from the edges as it exploded into a violent cloud of steam, blowing all three of them backwards, Nox landing on his feet, Serge sliding on even more mud, and the Frogadier flying straight into the pond, where she sank to its depths.

The members of Team Star exchanged glances, their strategist looking at the pond, then Nox, bewilderment on his face. "What in the world did you just do?" The inquiry was as sincere and awe-filled as he could muster, though it wasn't long before their assailant rose up from the depths, howling curses into the sky.

"You little bastard! What the hell did you just do?!" She was downright livid, though it wasn't for her wounds and burns, which did look somewhat severe. It was the fact she'd be beaten just like that, from out of nowhere, by someone who couldn't tell their tailbone from their nose.

"I… I don't know! But if you don't stop, I'll give you more from where that came from!" He was serious, it was easy to tell, but the water type didn't back down, her body rising up from the murky depths, covered in a thin layer of mud, leaves and plant matter, and of course soaked to the bone, albeit that was something she was used to.

"Do you want to die, you fool?! If you stand between me and my mark I'll cut you down where you stand, you hear?!" Their back and forth progressed into more serious threats, from which Nox didn't back down either, even if he was shaking where he stood, much to the female's surprise.

"Hey… Hold on time out…" Serge coughed as he came to then, raising his wings in the shape of a T. "Can we… reach a deal, lady?"

"A deal?" There was an ever so slight condescending tone in her voice. "I hope you don't believe you can strike a bargain for your life."

"Maybe not permanently, but at the very least… temporary." He sat up as he said the last word, knocking the mud off of his head and face. "Listen lady…"

"Ayame."

"Wh-"

"My name is Ayame Shimizu. Get it right, you pig." The surname made Serge open in his mouth in disbelief, whilst Jake's eyes widened in surprise.

"The Ayame Shimizu, from the Shimizu clan?"

"What else? Have you heard of us before?"

"Perhaps…" Jake said, the name bringing back memories of a certain assignment… back to a list of suspects, among them which were the Shimizu. "Not long ago either. Known worldwide as one of the more powerful and prestigious clans in Johto, after a decade of silence your name has resurfaced in several architectural projects worldwide. I did not expect someone of your standing to work as a mercenary in their spare time."

"So wait, you're telling me that lunatic right there…" The subsequent deadly stare from so called 'lunatic' didn't even faze Serge. "Is one of the most powerful women in the world." He stood up. "Fuckin' hell… and what you got against poor old me anyways?!"

"The bounty on your head."

"Doesn't your clan have more than enough funds, considering the many projects you undertake monthly?"

"You know nothing of our dealings, and frankly…" She stepped out of the water, pacing towards Nox and Serge intent. Her step was fast, methodical, eyes lit with a fiery passion for what she did, leaning to Serge and grabbing him by the feathers on his chest, threatening him once more with her very unlady like behavior. "I've yet to hear a deal from you."

"Fifty percent of what we get from this mission, and we get to save the hundreds of pokémon that are right now missing. Only for the length of this mission and the following weeks." He made it short and simple, and her eyes were glued to his.

"Seventy, and you only get two weeks, after that you won't know any rest."

"Deal." She let go of his feathers and he slumped back to the mud, groaning in relief. "I'll have you know that I do this purely for the deal: I now know the extent of your skill, and know you won't survive our next encounter. What's a few more weeks for me, specially when I'll get more money out of it."

"W- Do you not care for the hundreds of pokémon that are missing at this very moment?" There was some slight shock in the Sneasel's voice, whilst Nox helped the Pidgeot up, Ayame turned to look at him..

"I care only for my people and my family. That is enough." She didn't bother to go find the tathers left for her cloak, it was ruined anyways thanks to Serge's advance, and walked into the forest. "Now get up and don't get lost in this forest." And with that, she was gone, leaving with her an air of tension and dread, the trio letting out a simultaneous sigh of relief when the coast was clear.

"Holy shit, what is up her ass." Serge swore, using Nox's back to get himself back up on his feet, the Houndour remaining there, completely still and looking at the direction where Ayame had disappeared in, a wing moving in his face as it wiped off some mud on his face along with the movement. "Oi, earth calling Nox, come on kiddo!"

"Oh, what? Ugh!" He wiped his nuzzle. "Yeah she's a damn piece o' work, her." He still couldn't take his mind off of her eyes, there was something unsettling and at the same time admirable in them.

"She's a bitch, that's what she is… ooof, my body is killing me! What were that girl's blades made out of, water?" He blew air on his wings. "How can that shit be so tough?"

"I didn't catch a sight of her hands, but I would NOT put it past our luck that she had powers. That Abomasnow mentioned that Elementals attract other Elementals. She may just be like Vincent."

"But instead of being a charming and lovable asshole, she's just an asshole." Jake shrugged when Serge made his observation.

"Perhaps. Either way, we should do as she said and make our way deeper into the forest. We may not have gotten any rest, but we must keep going. I will take point." Jake spearheaded the line as they headed into the forest. "Also, you must report to Eric and Elly, nearly three hours have passed."

"Ice, let me catch my breath man."

"You have done so more than enough. Call them, I will keep my attention fixed on the others." Serge sighed and grabbed at the crystal hanging from his neck, reaching for Eric and Elly's minds.

" _We were just about to call you guys._ "

" _Oh really? What, missed these voluptuous curves and soft feathers to carry your big furry ass, Elly?_ "

" _I don't know if she's missed any of those, but I can_ _ **tell**_ _you've been missing the feeling of a foot in your ass, Serge._ "

" _Ah, Eric as eloquent as ever! Tell me, have you tried carrying her around on your back? Or are you too accustomed to letting her ride you in bed? I'll warn you that the cowgirl position, while highly pleasurable and enjoyable for males, denotes only weakness in the face of the opposite sex._ "

" _Alright, please shut up before I show you show you your weakness, Serge. What's going on over there?"_

" _Any time Elly. And as for what's going on, well we travelled for a few hours, arrived at the forest, had a lovely picnic with Tharmius and…_ "

" _Oh Arceus, he's there?!_ "

" _Of course he would… please tell me you didn't argue too much with him. Or anyone there for that matter._ "

" _Well referring to that I have some bad news and some terrible news._ "

"... _Arceus, if you're there, grant us strength. Alright, what the hell did you do Serge?_ " The shit eating grin on Serge's face would've earned him a punch from Eric.

" _Why, I asked Tharmius what he thought of the weather, and he decided to laugh evilly, like he does, and said he likes it more when the blood of the innocents is raining down on our heads. He also totally asked where you were, interested, and I do mean,_ _ **very**_ _interested to know of your guys' whereabouts._ "

" _And what did you tell him?_ "

" _I told him that if he wanted to, he could go ask his mother about it. He must've loved his mummy a lot because he broke down crying and he took off running. After that we found the village and found out that they were just having a massive orgy, which we have all joined in because that's what you do. Also, Nox lost his virginity._ "

" _...You had us fooled until you said Nox lost his virginity. Now out with it, Serge_ " The Pidgeot rolled his eyes. They weren't in the mood for jokes, and he ironically wondered why that was.

" _We exchanged a few words and death threatened, told me he liked me, and I asked him for a fancy dinner. Not kidding that actually happened._ "

" _Right… I think we got lucky that we didn't go there, things might've gone south if we did_." The tone of worry in Elly's voice was noticeable even through the psychic link. " _What else?_ "

" _Well, after that, we went into the forest, got lost for a bit, then found a clearing, and we had a run in with my secret admirer."_

An uncomfortable silence loomed over the ambiance, and as the seconds passed, he kept calling for them, eventually calling for them out loud. "Eric, Elly?" The other two in front of him stopped, dread mounting up the longer they didn't respond…

" _Hey, we're back._ " He let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. " _We just got to the buried city, and we just figured out why we can't communicate normally inside of it: it acts like a b-_ " Their voices died out again.

"Eric, Elly?" He grabbed the crystal shaking and hitting it.

"What are you doing?" Jake inquired, confused as to how hitting the crystal was supposed to help make it work again.

" _Alright, we've moved further away. What was that about your fan?_ " Eric sounded a lot more stern than before, probably having a good idea of who it was that Serge referred to.

" _Remember that pokémon that beat my face in back in Cunabula?_ " The silence was all the confirmation he needed, and could already imagine the look of annoyance on the Riolu's face as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. " _Turns out that they're Ayame Shimizu, and they're a mercenary out for my head for some reason. Apparently we're talking about sextuple digits… Heh, I said sex._ " His jokes came out more as obnoxious than anything else for the Riolu.

" _I thought you said that you had cut off and tied up all loose ends from back then."_

" _I did._ "

" _So why is she after you?_ "

" _I don't know. I legitimately don't know why. I'm pretty sure she's found an old offer and hasn't caught up to speed. I managed to shake her off by telling her she could have part of the money from the expedition… if they even give us money. Either way, it's fixed now, so no worries for a while._ "

" _We're gonna have to talk with her, we can't just pay her to leave us alone for a short while, we won't be able to sust-_ " The communication was swiftly cut off suddenly, which scared Serge quite a bit, shaking the crystal.

"Fucking holy shit, what is this thing's prob-"

" _Attention all explorers, I repeat, attention all explorers, we have found Evergreen I repeat… we… Oh Arceus… there's so much… Someone get over here right now!"_

"This is Team Star, report, this is Team Star. What is going on?" Nox and Jake suddenly turned to look at Serge, who was holding the crystal tightly, his gaze lost in front of them. He wasn't the only one to soon join in the conversation however, as voices, most of them unfamiliar, chimed in to ask the same things. Amongst them he also heard Ayame's.

" _Where are you? Tell us your specific location_!" She sounded quite ticked off, and since she wasn't present, the Pidgeot pressed his luck and decided to tone her down a couple eggs.

" _Listen up femme fatale, we don't know jack shit about how to find our way through this forest, so the poor guy won't be able to tell where he is!_ " Nox and Jake soon tuned in with their crystals as they realized what was going on, but before a fight broke out, Tharmius' voice interrupted them all.

" _Everyone, check your surroundings and look for moss on any trees, and try to determine what direction you're facing._ " The question hit everyone suddenly, and Serge could tell where he was going.

" _I… Alright, I am now facing south, I know the direction._ " Jake quickly looked around with moss, whilst Nox looked at them, confused.

"Wait, doesn't moss grow towards the north?"

"In the northern hemisphere, but we're in the south one, remember?" Serge's tidbit only added more questions however. "Did you skip out on geography class when you were younger?" The question sounded more like one that Jake would make in a joking matter… only for Nox to stare blankly at the Pidgeot.

"I never went to school." Both he and Jake exchanged looks of surprise, then a simultaneous sigh, as that basically explained everything.

"Right,let's look at the map…" He looked around and found a clearing with a spring in the map, which was definitely where they were. Tuning into the conversation he'd overhear that the village had a particularly tall tree that was hard to spot from within the forest…. but thanks to the map, they could find exactly where it was relative to their position. "It's a little to the left. If we continue this way and then up we'll be there." Jake finally traced their path with his finger and nodded.

"Alright, we're moving over to your position right now. Stay put and keep your eyes open." The flying type spoke in both the psychic link and the physical world. After being showered with gratitude by the panicking pokémon, and other groups giving the same message, they set out immediately. Jake took the lead, map in hand as he pushed and slid in between trees and bushes, much to Serge's dismay as he tried to keep up with the smaller pokémon, forcing to take alternative routes around them. "This place is a pain in the ass…"

"We are coming closer to it… Right." He lowered the map and pointed in that direction, and just beyond some more bushes a pebbled road could be seen. "That must be the road leading to the town. We have finally found it… Let us move on post haste." Remaining calm, he dashed to it and then pointed to the left, whilst Nox caught up and Serge ran face first into a brunch, making him let out a painful groan and hold his beak, then slapping the branch with rage.

"I swear to Arceus…" He spits out a leaf and then bent down to look at the entrance to town, where they saw a Politoed pacing back and forth, looking over to them and waving, then returning to his nervous panting as he leaned and looked at the town. As they approached, at first they thought that it was normal, just that the lighting made the scene much gloomier and dire than it truly was… but it was only when they were right next to the Politoed that they saw: beside him, two young pokémon, a Fletchinder and a Breelom were recovering, from the shock, the Fletchinder having been vomiting as they looked at the scene before them.

The village was in ruins. The entrance sign had been torn and splintered on one side, and the sign read "come to Everg-", the other sections having been sliced off or outright broken. The ground before them was littered with holes and burrows, big and small, from craters to full blown ditches and trenches had uprooted trees and slung pebbles from the pathways that once connected the many houses and buildings, now mostly in ruins or utterly destroyed, with only their basic foundations or hollow shells with gaping holes going right through them, making the structures look extremely dire and dangerous, as if they were about to collapse.

There were leaves and branches all over, most likely from the trees above, ranging from small twigs to massive tree like logs that would've most likely crushed anything and anyone under them… and they might have, because to make matters worse and to solidify that sight as bone chilling were the streaks of muddy, sticky and rust smelling muck across the paths. It didn't take a lot of imagination to guess what all of that was, specially when considering one could see tufts of bloodied fur and even chunks of what looked like indescribable meat, both because of how mangled and torn everything was and because staring at it all was so unpleasant that it was hard to focus.

"Holy…" Nox had to hold back gagging, whilst Jake closed his eyes and Serge breathed in, swallowing nervously. "What the fuck happened here?"

"We found it like this, we haven't even dared go in… Arceus, we need more reinforcements, we have to wait for the others and…"

"There could be survivors. We need to check post-haste." Jake suddenly said, bringing up a rather noticeable possibility.

"You're right… Ugh, alright, you three stay here until more pokémon get here, we'll go ahead and…"

"Hey, over here!" A voice called, and a larger pack came into the road, making the six pokémon turn around. Out of the bushes came even more pokémon, among them Ayame, who without her hood had been exposed for her species, though it seemed like her identity was still a secret, given that no one commented on it. As the group caught up and stared at the scene, she exchanged a look with Serge before looking at the destruction, and her eyes briefly widened before closing them, letting out a sigh.

"What… happened here?" She simply asked, the Pidgeot turning away from her to face the large tree in the middle.

"We don't know… yet. That's what we're here to figure out." He looked at her, motioning to the village with his head. "We're going in, want to tag along?"

"With you?" She was about to insult him once again, but given the image before them… perhaps there was something to be gained if they aside their differences for the time being. "Fine… But I'll move at my own pace." She moved past them and into the village, the trio following after her, with Nox walking right behind the female. The smell of rotting plant matter and blood was extremely poignant, jerking tears out of some of the more inexperienced pokémon as they began to sweep the entrance at the very least. Team Star and Ayame, however, walked deeper into the village, heading straight for one of the few buildings still standing, a large one too, made out of bricks and beams of wood.

"This looked like the town hall…" Ayame theorized, peering inside through the hole. There was nothing but overgrown vines and splintered furniture, even a hole in the ceiling and the floor, as if something had burst out from underneath and stabbed right past the hard stone foundations and to the second floor. She was about to step inside before an icy hand held her wrist, facing a Sneasel giving her a head shake. He pointed at the inside, and pointed out the lack of any support beams, and the walls that had been destroyed were slightly bent. "Right… What could've done this?"

"Well, from the looks of it, it came out of the ground… so it may have been a coordinated sneak attack." Serge's head was above Ayame's as she looked in, and pulled out and had to resist the urge to lean onto the wall, crossing his wings and lightly leaning upon it before stopping.

"Right, but how does that explain that big ass hole in the ceiling? You'd have to be a tall ass pokémon to burst out from the ground and go right through the ceiling in this place!"

"You're right, it'd definitely be strange, if not impossible… but there is more to it than just that." Jake split off from the group and walked over to the markings on the ground, crouching and dragging a hand across it. "It's smooth, the stone was cleanly severed, and whatever was caught in the way reduced to gravel at most. If something had been burrowing right underneath the surface, it would've left burrows, like those." He pointed at the aforementioned bulges. "But this is something different…" Before he could even think on what it was, Ayame suddenly stabbed the road with her own sword, scaring Serge as he jumped and fell backwards as she dragged the blade across the ground towards him, then lifted it up as she approached his groin, smirking.

"Crazy bitch…" The flying type couldn't help but mutter that insult, and Ayame only laughed sardonically, but quickly went back to her serious demeanour and looked at the markings she'd left.

"Look at my markings… and look at those others." She compared both of them, side by side… it was hard to tell them apart, earning her a couple strange looks. "Swords. Or some sharp edge. Whatever made these marks was some sort of sharp, pointed weapon, most likely a blade."

"Except this one's were bigger, thicker and sharper. The size and depth are much bigger…" Those cuts were all over the place too, and in some areas there were burrows, as if something had been tunneling around underneath the dirt. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this. Call everyone back." Serge wasn't the only one: there was a certain stagnated feeling in the air, an aftertaste of rust in their mouths, and silence echoed around the village, crushing them with its imperceptible weight.

"We should, at the very least, reconvene with the rest of the group." Jake determined the best course of action, and the decision was unanimous… until Nox spotted something that shouldn't be there.

"Hey! There's someone over there!" He suddenly called out, pointing at the back of the large tree in the center of town. There, lying against it, a large bloodied chunk of what looked like metal stabbed right through their chest, was a Zangoose. Shiny or normal, it was impossible to tell from the amount of blood covering their body. Worst of all though, their eyes kept closing and opening, and their body shook, trembled and shifted lightly: they were still alive, breathing, and seemingly in the middle of a shock attack. Serge took off to check on them, followed by Nox, and albeit Jake and Ayame started walking, they suddenly stopped as the terrain became pronouncedly more hazardous…

Serge reached the Zangoose, as Nox stopped midway to look at the approaching teams of pokémon, calling them over. "Hey! There's someone alive here!" Even if Tharmius was the most noticeable figure among them, getting all the help they could get was a great idea… on paper. Serge crouched next to the wounded pokémon.

"Hey. Hey, you alright?" He lightly tapped their left cheek. Their eyes locked with his, almost open, opening their mouth to try and say something, jaw open in horror as they shook their head. He gave them a comforting smile. "You're gonna be alright, cavalry's here…" He looked at their chest. The blade sticking out of their bodies seemed to be purplish in color, laced with vines and what seemed to be like a hard bone like orb in the middle, something that he couldn't identify. And just as he was about to reach to touch it…

" **Serge get out of there!** " He snapped to look back behind him at the Sneasel that called his name, Ayame running over to him, and then he looked down. Everything had slowed down as he noticed what they'd seen: every cut, every burrow, every hole seemed to have been made around that tree he was standing right next to. Without even looking at the Zangoose, he ducked to the left, sticking his right wing up against his body… and even so, the massive blade that shot out with the Zangoose impaled on it cut his upper chest wide open, a deep cut that didn't affect the organs, but left him writhing on the floor in pain as he slipped on some blood.

" **Serge!** " The ground trembled as the creature reared its true shape, something that every single one present in the village's ruins could observe… a massive, thick and green tentacle, covered in cysts, oozing some sort of greenish liquid through several pores, veiny flesh that pulsed as it loomed around over them, darting down to the still incapacitated Pidgeot with chilling speed, he quickly got up through the pain and dived forward, flapping his wings to try and take flight, only managing to reopen a certain old wound, landing and rolling on the floor, still pained by his wounds. The other members of the exploration reacted quickly: the more experienced ones, mostly mercenaries, stepped in between the creature and the younger ones as they watched in horror, the creature swinging back, coiling around the tree and swiping at the mob of explorers. That massive blade would've beheaded everything and everyone standing there if it hadn't been for Tharmius, who dashed forward at admirable speeds and grabbed the mass, stopping it mere inches away from the group… but before he could let go it slung back, making him howl out as he was lifted off the ground and slingshotted towards the ruined town hall, which collapsed right on top of him afterwards.

"Fuck! Serge get the hell out of there!" Nox proceeded to blast the base of the tendril with fireballs constantly, increasing their heat as he moved to the right, trying to catch its attention, which he did, icicles flying at the scythe, which seemed as good of a weak spot as Jake could discern, whilst Ayame moved closer, swiping her blades into existence as she dashed forward with both closed, prepared to block or dodge an incoming attack. The tentacle moved swiftly and with almost surgical precision, slamming down on Nox's position as its reaction to the fires were violent shakes and writhes, the Houndour quickly dodging, though before he could move further the vine pulled back, and behind him the blade part, a pointed scythe, Jake could see how the tip part of the vine itself, of darker color than the rest of the tentacle, tensed and the blade flexed, digging into the dirt as it drew itself back, attempting to cut Nox in half.

A well aimed icicle stopped that, unlike the other projectiles piercing through that spot in its flesh and making it shoot up, then slam down on the floor and sweep the entire area in front of it, blowing Nox away and over and Jake barely avoiding the blow, whilst Ayame vaulted over it and slashed across the length of its skin, her blades digging in, but not even drawing blood, or whatever it was that flowed through that thing's veins. She growled and tried again and again, slicing away at the base with both blades, striking fiercely, but it would be a miracle if they even dug in far enough. She then noticed the area Nox had hit, which was slightly charred, twisted the blade in her right hand around and stabbed it into the flesh, sinking right into the hilt before she howled out and drew it towards her, cutting the vine wide open, black liquid oozing onto the floor as a shriek echoed in the entire forest. It came from the creature… but sounded too distant to be from that tendril.

At this point, chaos had ensued in the entire village: those with projectiles attack from a range, though most missed, hitting trees and vines, a rain of plant matter and branches as thick as trees falling down, presenting more of a threat than helping the group, whilst those that had good mobility offered support. The Breelom from earlier and the Stoutland leader showed up to pick up the wounded Serge and carry him away, but the moment he could stand on both of his legs he pushed them away, panting heavily as he took in that thing's movements carefully: it moved unnaturally, undulating and slithering, snaking up to be as tall as the tree it had seemingly used to infiltrate the village, bleeding from the open wound that Ayame had inflicted on it, but still acting without any regards to its well being, which was strange for a creature of that shape and size.

Ayame ran back, putting some distance between herself and the creature, and as she did almost tripped on a groaning Nox. "Oowww… Fuck my head, I came down head first…"

"Snap out of it, and use your flames! They're effective against it!" The Houndour snapped at her words and looked up, preparing his fire, but the tendril had other plans, as the scythe quickly shot down to impale them both… but once again, another icicle stopped it, Jake clenching his fist as the two projectiles that had impaled themselves there burst out into fragments of ice that cut it open, making the scythe lose its ability to tense and flex.

"Nice shot!" Nox complimented it, then let loose a barrage of fireballs that struck the midsection of the tendril, leaving the entire area charred and weakened for Ayame's blades… but before she could strike it shot up and towards Jake, moving at a speed he couldn't possibly react quick enough… but he was saved at the last second by a fist covered in golden, grey and red scales, a white coat flapping behind him. Tharmius, looking perfectly fine save a few cuts on his judge's attire, blocked the entire thing with just his right hand, but seemed to struggle, quickly reaching with his left to grab at the rest of the scythe, wrestling against it as the creature and the Kommo-O pushed against the other. Jake looked closely at the Kommo-O's fists, and noticed that the scales that normally hung loose from his wrists were coiled around his hands, and bent and protected him from almost any physical attack, and seemed durable enough to resist being cut straight through by the scythe.

He groaned and howled out, slamming his foot on the ground and twisting his entire body, bending his arms… and with a sickening snap, the scythe twisted in an unnatural way and was ripped off of the tendril cleanly. Once again, a low shriek of pain echoed throughout the entire forest as Tharmius flung the scythe back, then looked skyward. "Serge! Now!"

The others only had an instant to spot the Pidgeot swoop down from the treetops, wings giving off a silver hue as he cleanly struck the charred section, cutting the entire thing in half, the severed part plummeting down on top of Ayame, who had approached the creature to do just what the Pidgeot had accomplished. Before she could be crushed under its weight, Nox's body moved faster than he did: fire converged and twisted under his paws, building up extremely quickly and then unleashing right underneath him as he started a dash. What happened was an explosion of heat that blasted him forward, surprising himself with the sudden burst of speed as he tackled Ayame and got her out of the way immediately, effectively saving her life as they rolled and bounced on the dirt, coming to a stop with the water type warrior pinned underneath him, whilst he laid on her chest, panting heavily. It was only after they both recovered their breaths and found their bearings that Nox spoke up. "So uh… Does this umm… compensate for what happened earlier? No hard feelings… right?"

"Off. Now."

"Yes yes yes, sorry." He got off without a hitch as the woman stood up, dusted herself off and merely nodded in Nox's direction.

"I suppose so. No hard feelings."

Serge too, crashed on the ground, managing to find his balance and sticking his healthy wing into the dirt to stop himself from crashing into a tree, panting heavily as they all looked at the limp tentacle laying on the ground… when suddenly it pulled back like a snake, violently ripping and tearing as it retreated back underground and back where it came from. The ground shook and trembled, the trees shifting, leaves falling and branches shaking for a few more minutes… and then silence. Deadly silence.

Some just couldn't take the shock, and as the adrenaline left their systems and the realization of what had just happened settled in. The worst however, was yet to come, as some would let out cries of panic and shock at the sight of the leftover chunk of tentacle… or rather what happened to it and the scythe, which Tharmius had to drop shortly after: they slowly began to pulsate, to become gelatinous, then liquid, losing its color slowly, grading from vivid green, so sickly mucus, and then a dark liquid which finally lost its shape, strings breaking and falling apart as that tentacle opened down the middle, revealing the oozing black mass inside, eating away at the dirt.

It didn't take long for the whispers to begin, the cries of that accursed word that shook them all to their very core. "Rebscura." Some said, promptly being hushed by those with more experience. Even those that had years upon years of experience on their backs were shaken and alarmed, denying what was undeniable at that point. Serge stood up, barely holding himself up, and approaching the steaming pond of Dark Matter, then looked at Nox, and Jake, a worried expression on his face. He glanced at Ayame and even at Tharmius, whose faces read that this was too big for their past differences. Without a shadow of a doubt, he closed his eyes, and reached for his crystal.

"Eric, Elly… we've got a problem."


	11. Chapter 8 - The Grave

**Hey guys!**

 **So I wanted to upload this chapter on the anniversary of this fic, already a full year, and while in chapters it's not as long as the first part, in terms of actual length, it is comparable by what it was back then! Sadly, it's not at the same pace, but at the very least you guys are getting more content… though that is something I wanted to ask: would you guys prefer shorter, more frequent chapter uploads, or these massive chapters that come out a month or so?**

 **Then again, I've barely seen anyone reviewing, sometimes I get extremely unmotivated and I find it hard to write… But oh well, I suppose the show must go on for the people who read but don't review.**

 **As always, thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys later!**

 **PS: Re-uploaded several times to fix stupid FFN formatting issues. Thanks for making this easier, FFN -.-**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 8**_

 _ **The Grave**_

 **Deep inside the forgotten city, find the coffin of steel**

Eric sighed as they waited around the porch of Slew's house. The four remaining team members had been waiting there for about fifteen minutes for Slew to gather his things, Elly having gone inside to help him out with this task, leaving her mate, Zed and Lucy outside to entertain themselves by silently staring off into the horizon, most likely rethinking their decisions that morning, Eric sighing as he leant back of the steps that lead up to the porch, twirling around his scarf in his paw. "Well, there's a chance that whoever we find over there isn't that crazy bastard…"

"Or maybe it could be him and his entire team, and we get gutted." Lucy as usual, could not see either the funny or optimistic side of this mission, on her four legs, poking around the ground and sticking her claws between the floorboards, whilst Zed laid on the railing, simply being quiet, bags under his eyes. Neither of them had said a word the entire morning, and the air around them was a pretty good indicator that last night had been rough for them. Eric considered getting up to pet and cheer up his friend, but decided to not do so, remembering the position he'd fallen asleep before.

"Yeah, maybe. So we'll just have to stay on our toes, and if things go south, we'll have to escape. I've been down there before, and so has Elly: the whole place is like a maze of roads, wreckage and ruined buildings, the landscape can work to our advantage and…"

"That's if we even get to use them! If you don't remember, this guy can just teleport right in our faces and cut us down to size! Hell, almost did it to you one time, remember?!" She looked at Zed. "And you almost lost your forelegs, and now you want to go up against him again?!" As she reminded him of this, the Zorua clenched his paws around the areas that had been wounded in the past, leaving him essentially crippled and unable to walk. That had been one of the most terrifying moments in his life… and it was obvious he was shaking in his boots with the prospect of facing off against the Pursuer again.

"Ye-yeah, I remember all that, but I need t-to be strong this time. Last time, others were hurt when I couldn't stand up and I c-can't do that now!" His speech came out rushed and contradicting his body language, which just made Eric feel even worse about dragging his best friend and the unamused Shinx into this. However, he kept reminding himself, and them sometimes, that this was their profession, this was their job, and it had its risks.

"Can't always be rainbows and sunshine…" He muttered to himself, remaining quiet after that little confrontation before Elly walked out, and behind her, the Slowking was following her… with a bag that nearly tripled his height. "Ummm… are ready then?"

"Yeah, yeah…" She sighed, fixing her fur collar. "We just had to pack about fifty different books and some other non-descript artifact and tool that Slew deemed 'indispensable' for his work in the ruins."

"Well, I do believe a few dictionaries are necessary! And worry not, I am using my psychic to keep this backpack from crushing me!" He chuckled as he walked forward and somehow made it down the steps, Eric rising up as Elly walked past him, the two sharing a brief glance and then looked at the other two, who moved in an almost lethargic manner.

"While we walk… you guys wouldn't mind if we do some experimenting, right?" Elly suddenly spoke up, surprising almost everyone, and even Eric, as her proposal came out of nowhere.

"What kind?" Lucy's tone was almost aggressive and antagonistic towards Elly, perhaps because she'd sided with her mate… which was understandable. Either way, the Eevee didn't take kindly to it, but opted to avoid further confrontation.

"Our powers. Yesterday we were inspecting that fragment and… we got knocked out, and when we woke up it was gone, and it feels like our powers have changed."

"Oh, your powers changed when playing with a fragment? Of what?"

Elly looked at Eric, and then looked at the others. "Ummm… it's a long story, we'll sum it up on our way there… and we'll do all the experimenting we want too." With this, the group set out, leaving town and walking a few feet, where they'd find a carriage that would take them further up north, trailing along the river, crossing over and travelling across the landscape. Not far to their left the ocean spread out, the entire Treasure Town area being a cape, which had recently been named Shark Cape, named after the almost world famous Sharpedo Bluff.

"It is always such a strange sight, to look at Treasure Town from this angle." The town was barely visible, overlooking the cliffside that descended to a much more rocky and untouched beach below, that spread out across the coastline, and either receded into the hard rock of the cliffs. A drop from such heights could potentially be fatal, but it all smoothed out as one approached the midsection of the region. There were no towns built along the road yet, but there were plans to do so. The "new continent" as it was called, had plenty of space for many villages and spreading civilization… though first society had to recover from the millions upon millions of dead from the previous great catastrophe.

Another common sight were abandoned villages, and just now, they were coming up to what seemed like an abandoned settlement, the carriage avoiding the road that leads to it, Elly shooting a furtive glance at it. "It's an area of Sinnoh we don't usually come to…"

"And for good reason." Lucy sentenced, getting real nervous and fidgety, most likely because not too far up north was the Savannah and the amp plains, where she came from, and if her surprise visit from her mother the day prior was anything to go by, she didn't want to come even close to her family.

The hours passed, and the carriage moved at quite a brisk pace, the landscape changing, from grassy hills and cloudy skies, to a more dry landscape, with grass slowly fading away, revealing the dirt and rocks underneath, bushes spread out across the landscape, and the sun shining down on them. It wasn't long before the carriage stopped, and the group stepped out.

They'd reached the desert's border, sand already making the trip further inland extremely difficult, so from there on out, they'd have to walk. They thanked the Zebstrikas with the carriage and they left to head towards Voltaire, where their next clients awaited. After eating lunch and drinking some water, the group felt prepared enough to head into the desert. As they walked, there wasn't much conversation, even as Slew tried to start something up, still unaware of the conflict and discussions that had taken place the previous day. Eric and Elly fell back as they slowed down to make progress with their experimenting.

"Ok, so…" As he began to speak, he noticed that Elly's gaze was lost on Zed and Lucy, and his mate tapped her side to ask her what was wrong.

"I'm just worried about them, and whether or not this was the right thing to do, pulling them along for this, splitting up the team…"

"Elly, not you too." He sighed, and he looked away, stopping and rubbing his nuzzle. "I don't need to be reminded time and time again that I'm not making the right decisions when I know that myself, but what the hell do you want me to do. I can't turn down Slew, because this is already pretty critical, and what happened in Evergreen was a last minute announcement, and we can't afford to let the Judges get away with that." He got defensive and sprung up against her.

"Hey, I'm not blaming you for anything Eric, but I don't think forcing everyone and telling them 'You are part of the team, this is our job' is a good way to get people to comply with what you're saying."

"Then what do you suggest I did? Give me one option that doesn't make me look like the bad guy." His arms slumped to his sides, frowning. "Come on!"

"Eric, calm down, I don't think of you as the bad guy or the villain here. Nobody is, it's just something that happens. But what you are is partially responsible for how you handle the team and the missions we take, and as your mate and co-leader, I don't think what you did either yesterday or today was a good way to handle it."

"Yeah, right… You say that because you don't have everyone looking at you." He outright glared daggers, which made her eyes widen. Realizing what was happening, he closed his eyes, sighed and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle again. "Alright, let's… drop this. This conversation ends now, we just do some training, understand how our powers work now, and get ready for whatever may happen." Elly opened her mouth to counter, but opted to stay quiet and not drag out the issue any longer. Sighing, she offered herself up to be the first to try out their powers.

And so they began to experiment. Their "base" spells, those beings that manifested themselves from simply thinking of their concept, or using those spells, were seemingly gone, albeit those that combined with aura in Eric's case, and psychic in Elly's case, were still there, and felt less straining on their bodies than before. In fact, Eric had a new one, as he'd figure out when he combined it with their new element. He thought back to the freezing chill and cold calculations that they'd undergone during their trial, focusing on that cold… and the aura sphere changed shapes and forms, becoming a sort of trapezohedron, with multiple faces that kept spinning.

"Woah… This is a new one." He called Elly's attention to it as he held out the attack. "Ok, I'm going to release it, so step back." The Eevee did as she was told as he aimed away from the group ahead, then let go of the sphere, which shot forward at a moderate speed, hitting the sand. As is did, there was a shattering noise, and shards of what looked like glass shot out, but the sphere itself rebound upward and towards the sky, before it simply burst into larger and more dangerous shards, raining down like teardrops.

"It… bounced?" Elly commented, then came up with another idea to test how far it would go: She used her dark matter to create a series of walls. "Alright, aim it properly, and get it to bounce, and we'll see how far it goes." He nodded, and readied another sphere. On the count of three, he released it as both he and Elly took cover, it bounced once, losing what seemed like a side, then another, and on the third, it shattered completely. "Three bounces… did you see that? It had six faces with five sides each, then went to a cube, then a pyramid, then broke."

"Ummm… no, not really, I was too busy shielding my eyes in case it went wrong… But I'll take your word for it. I'll call it Glass Sphere then, for obvious reasons."

She narrowed her eyes, looking at him smugly. "You're so bad at naming things, it's almost hilarious."

"Hush you. Now, what about your powers?" She nodded, and focused her thoughts on the same thing Eric did, following his instructions… and apparently, nothing noticeable happened, or at the very least, not until she put her paw on the path of sand that she'd focused on, at which point she noticed that it was really cold. In fact, for a second she didn't realize that she'd lowered the temperature by quite a lot, as it burnt her paw quite bad.

"Ouch! It's… cold?" Her brain was having trouble catching up with the confusing signals that her senses were sending it. Eric walked over and did the same, pulling his hand back and nodding, confirming what they'd just felt.

"It's like you've frozen it over, like the opposite of your pyrokinesis."

"There's a name for that then: Cryokinesis." She made it sound really smart, feeling kind of proud of it, making Eric roll his eyes. "What?"

"You complain I'm horrible at making names, but you don't even bother to try and come up with something interesting, and instead go with the boring, normal term for the thing. How's that any better than what I do?" He shrugged as he started walking, having to pick up the pace after having messed around with their powers for so long.

"Oh shush, it sounds much better than an orb that's made out of glass, and if there's a proper term for the ability, why would I not use that name."

"Because it's your technique, and you have to make it your own! But whatever, it's your call what you want to name your powers." He was straight up teasing her with his sarcastic tone and words, but nevertheless she stood her ground, and decided to dismiss his words, thinking that his annoyance from the previous conversation was dripping down into this one. Eventually, the others reappeared in view, having taken a pit stop to wait for the duo to catch.

"Had your fun back there?" Lucy's sardonic tone went ignored by them, as Elly walked up to her friend and ushered her to walk forward with her, whilst Eric stayed back with Zed and tapped his shoulder, asking his dark type pal how he was doing.

"You had a bit of a strong moment yesterday. Had a rough night?" The Zorua looked up at him, nodding slowly and sighing, kicking the shifting sand underneath their paws.

"I can barely get through to Lucy anymore… as if yesterday wasn't enough, what with what happened with her mother and all, being taken on a mission that none of us want to do, and strung along like this… Well you already know what she's like Eric. And if you think she's being unbearable right now…" He fell silent, not wanting to talk behind his mate's back, but the Riolu could already imagine how exhausting and stressful discussing with Lucy behind closed doors was.

"Hey, come on. It's just a rough patch is all, I'm sure that when she calms down and inevitably forgets about her mother she'll be more willing and open to speak. I'd recommend you try and steer clear, because we both know how abrasive she can be when she's angry but…" He looked at her, grabbing and readjusting his bag, sighing. "She's your mate, and I'm pretty sure you know her better than Elly or I do."

"You say that but… She's just been acting in a really weird way as of late, you know?" He fell silent, as if waiting for Eric to ask what was wrong, which he did, but blushed and looked around, making sure that nobody could hear them. "W-well… Can you stay quiet about this? Not even Elly can know this." Eric nodded, holding his paw forward and putting it over his chest.

"Not a soul."

"Alright…" He bit his lower lip, blushing even more and stuttering out some words. "W-well, um y-you see she and I we h-have been m-m-mating a lot. L-like… **a lot**." Eric rose an eyebrow.

"Ummm… and? Don't get me wrong, but that's exactly what Elly and I do, much to everyone's dismay apparently, and we don't do it every day, even if what Serge claims he 'hears' makes you think otherwise."

"W-well, the thing is, it's d-different now." His stuttering was very prominent now. "L-l-li-like, she just does it because she h-h-h-h-has to."

"Because she **has** to?" His eyebrow rose even higher. "Now that's just confusing, especially considering who it is we're talking about here. You guys took forever to actually turn the tie and make it official, and as far as I know it wasn't just you who wasn't too keen on going the whole way with her. What makes you think that she feels obligated to do this kind of stuff?"

"I don't know! That's the thing, at first it felt nice, but as time went on there's…. ugh, it feels like there's no love in it y'know? We get together in bed, and… Ummm…" He blushed again. "Sorry but do you mind if I describe it? Like, everything we do, so you can get a better idea of what I m-m-m-mean." Eric had to hold back a big grin, as he did find the situation kind of funny, instead nodding and patting him with a more sincere smile. "Alright well, I may try to kiss her, try to get her into the mood, to start something… Just like you told me back in the day."

"Oh yeah yeah, I…" He rubbed the back of his head, chuckling. "I did tell you to do that… man, how long has it been? 3 years almost?"

"Don't know, but even then I don't do what you told me exactly... anyways, that's not the point! Point is, I'm not trying to mate with her, I'm trying t-to… t-t-t-t-to…" He swallowed. "M-make l-l-l-l-l-l-love to her…" It seemed that Zed's temperature was surpassing that of the sand below him. "But every time I try to be tender she just… pushes me away, gets me on my back, and does it. And once it's over, she lays down, and very rarely returns my kisses. I just… don't know what it is, if I'm doing something wrong, if she's bored with me, if I don't satisfy her, I…" He was getting very heated, and Eric quickly reached into his bag and handed him a bottle of water, letting the Zorua sit down and drink until thirst was sated, and his worries were slightly washed away. "Thanks."

"Saw you were getting heated, thought it would help. Regardless, this kinda… leaves my field of expertise." He rubbed his chin as he thought. "Knowing you, I doubt you've done anything to upset Lucy so much to the point of… well, her doing all this. And whenever Elly's gotten upset the last thing she wanted to do was mate, so… I haven't got a clue how to help out, man." Zed looked down at the ground, Eric trying to comfort him with his paw, patting his back. "Why didn't you tell me all of this last night?"

"Well, I kind of did… just not the specifics of it I guess. I just… wish I knew what was going on in her head, so I could understand and help her is all." Eric patted his back, feeling frustrated that the only thing he could help his friend with was just some generic advice.

"Is… something the matter?" They both turned to face to the right of Eric as Slew slowly approached them. "The girls simply didn't want me around them it seemed, and you boys seem to be locked in an intense discussion. Is something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing important Slew, just… a bunch of things is all, and us going on this mission's made things even harder."

"Aaah, yes, the whole splitting up the team thing you told me about this morning… Once again, I am terribly sorry, had I known all of this in advance I would've asked for help somewhere else." Him saying that just drove the point that Elly, Lucy, Nox… just outright almost everyone in the team had driven forth earlier that morning.

"No, absolutely not. We are interested in this mission personally, and you're an old friend. The last thing we should do is turn you away in your time of need."

"Yes, I do see that, but there would've been no harm done had you said no, I would've understood, given the circumstances. I would've had to discuss and pull on Ferrus' leg, but I'm sure he would've allowed some other explorers to help, even with his extremely pressing matters…"

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Eric suddenly asked, the archeologist chuckling.

"Well, I have kept in touch with him, he has been a great friend ever since the invasion in Treasure Town, and he has provided with resources and men, just some to get by is all…"

"In exchange for what?"

"Hm?" The Riolu's follow-up question caught him off-guard. "Oh, just a favor from a friend is all, nothing else." The way he quickly answered the question, even after that initial reaction was definitely suspicious, but Eric opted not to press the issue further… for the time being. "Well, still, what it is that has you two so caught up? I could not help but overhear some of the conversation, my apologies Zed." He only got a blush and a nod as a response. "And I hear that this all has to do with female woes?"

"Sort of? It's a bit of a confusing case, but we're trying to figure it out."

"Aaah, I see… well, I was married for about twenty years before my love was roughly taken away. A shame, but I conserve those memories of happier times, and I shall live with them by my side. Regardless, I was with my mate for far longer than you two combined, so I might be able to help with these matters." Eric turned to look at Zed, who just stared at his friend, still embarrassed beyond belief, but… Slew was a very good friend of his and Lucy's, and they'd helped save town so… He reluctantly sighed, and trusting his friend, he confided everything he'd just said to him, starting a debate between the three males as to where the root of the problem was.

Meanwhile, Elly had already stepped way ahead of them and was talking with Lucy, in fact had started the instant she'd caught up with her, a few minutes ago before Eric and Zed began their discussion. "So, mind telling me what your whole deal is? You've been nothing but a jerk, for lack of a better word, ever since your mother came around, and you keep berating Eric and I as if it were our fault." She was direct and to the point, because she knew that Lucy hated beating around the bush about these types of arguments.

"Well, let me sum up exactly all that's happened, so you can get a good understanding of why I'm this pissed off with the world." She looked at her, coughed and then began counting off everything, but not before glaring at Slew as he slowed down, trying to join the conversation, traded a look with both females… and then kept slowing down, past them with just a nod of his head in the form of greeting. "Well, let's see: I almost fucking **died** two weeks ago, and mind I am **still** getting nightmares about that, Zed has been acting extra weird and on the defensive with me, my absolute **whore of a mother** just had to come by and rub salt in the wound and remind me of why I hate her, and now not only are we going on what's essentially a suicide mission, but we're also going there **without** the others! So all in all, it's been a pretty shit month so far!"

Elly just listened to her list off stuff, and when she was done she rolled her eyes. "That all? Thought you'd add that you were in heat or something."

"Oh fuck you, I thought you were supposed to be my friend, not here to be a bitch to me!"

"Look who's talking! You're the one who's been bitching ever since yesterday, and you're making us, your friends, pay it for some reason! Two weeks ago all of us almost died, Jake was actually dead for about five seconds before Zed and Vincent resuscitated him, and needless to say, I don't think either Zed or Jake have had peaceful sleep involving that. In fact, I don't think Jake's been sleeping every day since, I've caught him taking sleep preventing medication." The Sneasel's weird sleeping schedules and mannerisms were known by all in the house… but Lucy wasn't so easily convinced.

"Y-you can't prove anything! Zed had some problems, for sure, but he's improved, and I doubt someone like Jake would be shaken just like that. And what are you trying to get at? Make me feel worse than I already do, try to use them as an example of how I should behave? That's not gonna work, because I ain't them, and I'm pretty sure that they don't have to deal with the same issues I have to!"

Elly groaned. "Would you just let me finish? I'm trying to make you empathize with us, so you don't jump the gun and blame us for things that we aren't responsible of… like yesterday, with your mother. Zed told Eric that you two had a strong discussion yesterday after he tried to help you." The frown on her friend's face made Lucy look away. "He's only trying to help you Lucy, he's worried for you. He's your mate for crying out loud, so why did you snap so violently at him?"

"Because… Ugh!" She was growing tired, facing her and snarling. "Why do you care?! You have Eric, you two can stay in your lovey dovey dream realm, and be an insufferable pairing… But I see it! I see through all of it!" With that last sentence, she rushed ahead.

"Hey! Lucy! Lucy!" She tried to catch up, but the electric type was just faster, eventually becoming a dot in the horizon as she walked alone, separated from the others, but remaining in sight. She wasn't so stupid as to completely disappear, but even as Elly tried to talk with her through telepathy, she wouldn't respond. "Idiot…" She muttered under her breath, the other guys catching up, probably to ask what had happened. "I see through all of it… through what?" Lucy had most likely intentionally run away after that, and looked incredibly distressed.

As Eric, Zed and Slew caught up, she went over what happened, though skipped most of the more intimate details, not wanting to out her friend in front of the males, including that last line. "Honestly, I don't blame her for being so stressed out, with all that's happened… and we all know just how much trouble she has admitting she's at fault." They all just looked ahead at her, and Elly sighed, calling everyone off and saying that they'd be fine when they got to Crimsand.

The grains of sand underneath them, crimson like rose petals, shifted and washed over them like a dry blanket, getting into their furs or clothing articles, having put away everything that wasn't glued to their skin, and now their bags felt heavier and more obnoxious than before. Elly offered them some shade with her dark matter, and carried the bags with her psychic powers. "Oh, I am more than happy that you're willing to help me carry all this Elly, but I hope I am not intruding or burdening you too much with all these bags."

"Well, it's not like they're all incredibly heavy, just about a ton weighing down on my mind, and I know for **sure** they're gonna give me a bigger migraine than dealing with all this drama's given me…" She felt the weight of the bags on her mind being lifted as Slew joined in to help her, something she deeply appreciated as she mostly kept them all hidden from the merciless light of the sun. The Shinx ahead of them slowed down as well, and after what felt like an eternity she fell back with the group, hiding under the shade, where Zed gave her some water, which Elly cooled with her brand new powers.

"So that's what you got? The power to freeze things and the power to throw spheres made out of glass?" Lucy asked, then let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh yeah, that's totally gonna keep us alive against whoever this guy is."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully it does help keep ourselves alive… asides from that, not much has changed."

"So you've basically lost some of your powers and only gained one? Yeah, we're totally fucked…" She was being obnoxiously negative now, to the point where it was getting under Eric's skin again, though he opted to stay quiet to avoid further confrontation, and weight what she was saying: had they really only lost, or had they gained abilities in an area they hadn't yet thought of?

Elly too, was thinking about this, and tried to recall her shadow clone, which was still what she got when she combined her shadow ability and her psychic… but with the unseen effect that the dark matter above them suddenly changed color. Everyone looked up, confused, and saw that the dark matter had seemingly… gone see through? They could see the sky above them, but the light of the merciless sun wasn't getting through. "Ummm… Elly what are you doing?" The question got the Eevee confused, and as Zed motioned upwards with his head and she looked up, she was further puzzled by what was happening to her dark matter.

"What the…" She lowered it, and as it moved, it changed colors, now perfectly replicating the sand and horizon in front of them. It was barely visible, save for a few imperfections, which she quickly cleared out as she focused further. The result was impossible to tell apart by the naked eye, save for Elly, who could tell where it was, and Zed, whose eyes were adapted to distinguish illusions from reality. "Ok, that is definitely new. Eric never told us we could do this with our powers."

"To be perfectly honest, we did get these powers after he died, but…" He tried to do the same with his light staff… but it simply didn't work. "Huh? Nothing' happening on my end."

"Whatever they are, that's definitely handy… it'll help us hide when the bad guys appear." Lucy was impressed, but she wasn't about to show it, and didn't think that some blanket to hide themselves would do much in the way of combat. Eric, annoyed, rolled his eyes and tried his next essence, which would be fire… the moment he did, his staff would go from bright white to flaming red, as it would lose its rigidness and go limp in his grasp. "Woah… Yeah I'm not even gonna make a joke about that one, though if Serge was here he'd definitely said something."

"Oh shut up, Lucy." He retorted, swinging it around, watching the limp staff extend and retract with each movement. It was really flexible too, and with a flick of the wrist is smacked against the sand, flames, sparks and what looked like small grains of sand flying up before he flung it back, coiling it around his paw. "It's a whip completely wrapped in flames… a fire whip."

"I swear if you name it just Fire Whip I'm going to lose it." Elly said, his mate turning to face her as he stopped the flow of fire energy and the staff reverted to its original form.

"I'll name it whatever I want, it's my power for Arceus' sake! And what are you going to call your new power, eh?" The others just exchanged looks of confusion, unaware of the couple's inside jokes.

"Well, I'm going to call mine Mirage Matter. Much more refined and interesting than fire whip, and it also describes exactly what it does." The two of them went back and forth, arguing that their names were better, until they finally turned to their companions. "Who's got the better names?"

"H-huh?!" Lucy didn't know what to answer, the situation catching her completely off guard, whilst Zed and Slew pronounced themselves in favour of the Riolu and the Eevee respectively. "I… Ok this isn't the time to be discussing this stuff, we're headed towards our doom!"

"W-well Lucy, if they have new powers, i-it could mean the edge we need to s-survive! Besides it's just for the h-heck of it." His stuttering had definitely gotten much worse than before, and she turned to look at their leaders, and looked between the two…

"Yeah sorry, but 'fire whip' is kinda shit."

"Yeah!" Elly smiled and rose her paw to high five her friend… but she wasn't exactly in the mood for celebrations either, and so she was left hanging there. "Regardless, I can't do anything with fire either, so… next one is… water?" The dark matter changed, this time become see through, but was easily visible, as it was gelatinous and trembled with the wind, as if it were a mass of water suspended in the air. They all looked at it as it moved about, placing it on the ground as it slowly became more and more compressed, stretching outward, but the moment she let go at least a bit it would spring back to its normal shape.

"It's very elastic it seems…" Eric poked it, as it bent, and kept pushing further and further against it, kicking it… and the moment he'd lift even his paw or a larger part of his weight, it would sling backwards into its normal shape, and launch him backward across the sand, landing on his back a foot away from him. " **Very** elastic yeah… Ow." His fur was covered in sand, dusting himself off as he approached the group again. "Got a name for it?"

"Well, if I did, I certainly wouldn't share it for you, you'd just trash on it."

"Oh come on, don't be like that. I won't be too angry if you call it Water Wall or something like that." She reached for him and hit his side with her paw, making him chuckle and snicker.

"Whatever. Hmmm… I think I'll take a pass on naming it for now. All that comes to mind are things like Aqua Wall and Elastic Barrier, and I'd rather just not call it that." Eric's gaze on the back of her neck narrowed, and she could tell he was glaring dagger at her. She didn't care, instead waiting for him to try the same element. To their dismay, it didn't work, and neither did wind, which in contrast, worked with Elly, the dark matter disappearing almost completely again, replaced by a roaring gust of wind that she could move at a whim. Once again, no name outside of wind wall, so she opted to leave it nameless for the time being, to further Eric's annoyance.

"Right, all that's left is the new element, Ice… You think it'll work for both of us?" He inquired, holding out his staff.

"Only one way to find out…" They reached for their powers, the group having taken a brief stop to rest and hydrate whilst Eric and Elly discovered their new powers… and this time, it was Eric's staff that changed, glowing a soft cyan blue as it changed shapes into a single edged blade, the other being rather blunt, about the same length as the normal staff, and slightly curved outwards with the edge. "Damn it. Please don't call it Ice Blade…"

"Ice Blade." He did it just to spite her, making her groan and ending their little break. "Alright so, I think we ended up losing more powers than we gained, but these new powers seem to be a lot more flexible than the old ones… also, why did you get more powers than I did?"

Elly shrugged, trying to think about it. "I mean… I got shadows, water and wind. Don't really see a relation there between them, but fire and ice are opposites..." She racked her brains for a while, but eventually gave up.

"We'll think about it when we have the time, right now, we need to get a grasp of all these things, specially if we're to use them coming up…" His statement didn't receive any answers or responses: just the unsettling silence that had accompanied them through those arid hills.

"Slew, how far away are we from Crimsand?" Eric asked, voicing everyone's questions, since they were running out of water and all of them felt slightly winded from the trip.

"Should be just ahead, and from there it'll be a short walk to the archeological site." The Slowking had pulled out a map, and noted that they were leaving the more sand filled region of the desert and entering the badlands. Shortly after, they would find that old road that Eric recognized well, and the signposts that lead one to Crimsand.

"Elly, it's your first time coming here, right?" Eric asked, the Eevee nodding in response.

"Well, technically I've been here before, when I came with Grovyle and the human Eric, though we never stopped in town, we kept going straight into the desert's depths."

"Lucy and I came with the human Eric to try and find Nymphe, back when we needed help for that army."

"Ooooh, yeah, that whole bar fight… I remember that. Wait, it's the same town?!" Just now, she seemed to have realized where they were going exactly.

Slew chuckled at her response. "Not exactly. It has changed over the years, become more oriented to providing services and help to weary travellers venturing the desert, mostly us archeologists. Here we'll meet up with my colleagues and we'll head straight for the ruins. Trust me, we won't have to walk through some sandstorm or valley. There's no way you can miss them now as they are." He remained cryptic, chuckling to himself as the others simply exchanged looks of confusion, walking down that road. The sun was now past it's highest point, and as Crimsand Town appeared on the horizon, the group realized just for how long they'd been walking and running.

Slew didn't lie when he mentioned that the town had noticeably changed: from being a breeding hole for criminals, as Eric had known it at first, it had been transformed into a much more respectable town, carriages, caravans and piles of rocks, metal chests and cases that were filled with documents and papers in varying states of decay, and most of all, bent rods and pieces of iron, rusted with time and mangled into almost unrecognizable shapes. One of these in particular brought with it broken glass shards, rotting matter, some kind of black velvet, torn to shreds.

"Goodness gracious! How did they get this one out?!" Slew inquired, utterly shocked at the monstrosity of metal before him.

"Well, it did take us about three days after you left!" A shape walked out from behind the mangled metal, a Sigilyph, who Slew recognized as a smile crept up to his face. "Two whole days to take this junk outta the pit, and then another to take it here! Just got here this morning, had to check if the boys had damaged the goods… But everything's in order!" The two of them smiled and embraced each other in an almost brotherly hug.

"Aaah, it may have been just five days, but I have missed you my friend." Slew said, turning to the others. "My friends, this is Professor Rubert, renowned Archeologist from Johto, pokémon explorer that has discovered a great deal of ruins all around our world, and a good friend of mine."

"Oh, such a long conversation… might as well say that I'm a father to four and consider myself the only "cool" archeologist in the world!" He hit his friend's back. "Seriously, while all these guys have their noses buried in books I'm out here unburrowing treasures! No wonder, I discovered a lot of ruins, I'm the only one who goes out to find them!"

"Yes, but you're also the only one who doesn't understand half of the human scripts we find. Not everything is in our language, Rubert." Slew chastised him, inspecting the metal structure, though the Sigilyph dismissed his words, shaking his head and as his pink friend looked away, he edged closer to the team.

"In reality he's just mad that I'm more popular with the workers… but hey, that's what happens when you aren't as appealing as cardboard!" He got a chuckle from Slew. "Regardless, you must be Team Star, correct? He mentions you guys every so often, saying one of you was the first to discover these ruins, thus taking away the glory and fame of uncovering them! So… whodunit?!" He crossed his wings in a rather comical fashion, obviously joking.

Eric rose his paw, chuckling. "That would be me. Had to come here to find one of the time gears. I'm Eric, co-founder and leader of Team Star." He extended his paw in formal greeting, and the Sigilyph shook it. "Those are Elly, the other co-founder, second in command and my mate." She nodded and shook paws with Rubert. "Zed, a good friend of ours, and Lucy, his mate." Both of them nodded and shook paws with him in that order.

"Wow, I feel like I'm in the presence of celebrities! Oh, also, thanks for saving our world. Do people do that often?" The perplexed look on their faces answered his question, laughing. "I'm guessing they don't do it as often as they should!"

"Damn right! Nobody gives a crap that we risked our lives to do it!" Lucy bumped her way forward, finally feeling vindicated and recognized. "It might've been our job, sure, but it still feels nice to feel like people care every once in a while!"

"Aaaah, but you see my friend, we all have our own worries in our daily lives, so it's not exactly on everyone's minds when they meet you lot. Still, I can imagine it'd be frustrating to not be recognized as the saviors you are… but I'm afraid the general public has grown ungrateful. Even if it is your profession and what you're supposed to be doing, receiving some thanks every so often goes a long way. Sadly I don't get to experience that, because who in the world thanks an archeologist for doing their job. Not the carcasses we find, that's for sure!"

That brand of dark humor didn't really resonate with anyone, so the group just chuckled out of respect. "Right… Anyways, so you're one of the archeologists in the human city site?"

"Yep, though we've been looking through the ruins and found what we think may have been the city's original name: Gerotha, so it's called the Gerothal Site amongst us now, and I'll be referring to it as such from now on, ok?" The others nodded. "Good, now the site itself isn't far away from Crimsand. Although the original entrance you found, which was at the bottom of a pit of quicksand, which I have to say… What the fuck were you thinking, jumping into a pit of quicksand like that, you nutjob."

"I… well I was chasing after the love of my life?" His response was less than satisfactory as Zed facepalmed, remembering the circumstances around him just leaving to the desert like that… so did Lucy apparently, as the Riolu would feel a jolt of electricity straight into his bottom half, making him yowl. "Oi!"

"You deserve it for that shitshow of a reaction you had when you found out Elly was alive and you wanted to go alone… Why did you even want to go alone in the first place?"

"I don't know! I was a kid, and in love! Can't really blame me for that."

He'd feel a wing being put on his shoulder, and he'd look at Rubert, whose eyes were somewhat teary. "Aaah, young love… I can already imagine, you looking at that pit, exclaiming her name, and diving in for no real good reason…" He faked a sniff. "Truly inspiring." An awkward silence followed, and he patted his shoulder. "Whelp, whatever, you contributed a great deal to the discovery of one of the most well preserved and important archeological sites in history, and your name will probably be in the history books before mine. Not that I am… **jealous** or anything like that." He tightened his wing around his shoulder as he said this, then smiled and broke away. "I jest."

" _Alright, this guy keeps bouncing back and forth between weird, funny and creepy_." Lucy's comment would resonate in their heads, the four pokémon unanimously agreeing with her. Either way, it didn't take long for Slew to come back, a carriage following right behind him.

"Alright, everything's ready. You guys need something to do here before we leave?" He inquired, and they were all about to say no, when Elly gasped.

"Wait, actually we need to get more water! If we'd forgotten we would've been in trouble."

"Yeah, but… we're in the middle of the desert. Where are we going to get any water?" Zed's question was swiftly answered by Rubert, who pointed at a bar. "Oh…"

"I'll go." Lucy offered, wanting to split off from the group, something that Eric didn't particularly find good, so he decided to tag along. "I said I'd go."

"Well you'll need help bringing back the bottles." Elly handed him theirs and the duo headed into the bar. "Well this brings back memories…" He opened the double swinging door to the saloon and walked inside. It had been remodelled and rebuilt, but it was essentially the same Saloon that he'd trashed.

"Really, you've been here too?" She asked, walking around the place. "We came here with the other Eric and he fuckin' just… trashed the place, fought a large Tyranitar and suplexed him in the middle of the road."

"Oh yeah, I heard him retell that story. I can't believe it was the same place too, they must've needed a fortune to rebuild everything after we were both done." The two of them delved deeper into the bar, and got to the bartender himself, sitting on four legged stools.

"Speaking of fortunes, have you seen what these guys are charging for water?!" Lucy's exclamation made him inch closer and looked at said prices, which made him sigh.

"Well it does make sense, since they are the only place in miles that sells it…" He rose his paw, and handed him their bottles, telling him to refill them if he would. They were moderately sized stainless steel bottles, capable of holding about 5 liters each. "Anyways… Lucy the other day and just now I was talking with Zed, and I have to ask… is something the m-"

"Please stick to your own problems, Eric." She immediately cut him. "The way Zed and I handle our relationship is our own private problem, and I already had a conversation with Elly earlier, and I really, **really** am not in the mood to deal with any of your guys' bullcrap right now."

"Oh? Then when will that be?"

"After we survive this mission, **if** we survive it." Eric leant away from her and looked around, thinking her words over. Besides them was a large Krokorok, absorbed in their drink, shooting glances at the two pokémon besides them, whilst there were noises and shouts coming from further beyond.

"What's this now, fuckin' drinking some juice?! Can't hold yer liquor ya wuss!?" Whoever those pokémon were they had a problem with the fact he wasn't drinking alcohol, something Eric found was frivolous. The verbose continued as he looked away and at the other side of the bar, where a Rhydon and a Nidoking were sitting side by side, discussing whether or not they should move out of Crimsand and go somewhere else. It was then that the sound of glass shattering would come from behind him, and both he and Lucy would turn to face the opposite direction: the Krokorok was standing up, and at his feet an unconscious Mankey, knocked out by a bottle of whiskey that had been smashed over their head.

"Hey!" Eric quickly called out, the Krokorok turning on a dime to face him, looking rather pissed off.

"Wot? The asshole was askin' fer it, can't just let him running lip and callin' people shit ya kno-" A howl echoed from behind them and a Hitmonlee rushed at her with a wooden stool, and smashed it down on their head… Only for the splinters and the wood to bounce off and splatter everywhere. The Krokorok barely even flinched, or recoiled in pain from a hit that with that much viscerality and aimed like that would've probably hurt or knocked them out. Instead, he turned around, and with a claw, gripped the seam of the Hitmonlee's bag, smiling.

"My turn." The Krokorok, whose grave voice gave the image that he was male, lifted them up from the ground with incredible ease, as if he weighed as much as a feather, walked to the middle of the bar, took a running start… and swung him under his arm as if he were a bowling ball and launched them out through the swinging doors and outside, cleaning their claws after they were done. "Oughta fuckin' stay outta here, ye basterd." At this point, the Riolu had had enough, getting up from his stool.

"Alright, sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to stop all this tomfoolery." He didn't even reach his waist, but Eric wasn't about to be intimidated by the massive pokémon with that cream colored belly and brown scales with black stripes.

"Oh yea? Watcha gonna do 'bout it then, ya midget? You oughta go back to yer gerlfriend there, lest I fix ya face up until ya nanny can't even tell your face apart from yer arse." Well, he certainly had some colorful vocabulary, and the fact that he'd interpreted Lucy as his girlfriend just made the whole thing even more insulting.

"...excuse me? Are you threatening me?"

"Maybe, if ya don't fuckin' leave me alone then I might."

"Alright, that's en-" He grabbed his wrist, and everything happened so quickly. He was lifted up by that massive Krokorok with insane ease, flung over his head. Reacting quickly enough, Eric pulled out his light staff and jabbed it into his face to vault over him, making him growl as he jabbed his nose.

"Ya fuckin'... Raaargh!" He lunged at Eric, who swung with his staff at his side… only for his weapon to strike against something so solid that it made him shake, the energy from his strike going to waste as the Krokorok attempted to grapple him. In reaction, Eric quickly swung upward with the other end of his staff, and the Krokorok grabbed it, struggling against the fighting type. "Noice stick! Wonder what'll happen if I…" He could feel his grip tightening around the length of his weapon, and to Eric's utter disbelief, he felt it budge and even shift under that grasp, as if he was cracking it!

Before anything else could happen though, another shout interrupted them, this time from the entrance of the saloon. "Eric! What the hell are you doing?!" Elly was standing there, looking beyond angry, especially when she found him fighting against someone they didn't even know, both him and the Krokorok looking at the normal type. "Come on, we don't have any time to waste, let's go!" Suddenly reminded of what they were supposed to be doing there, Eric dismissed his staff, and went to the stand to help Lucy grab their bottles, much to the Krokorok's disbelief as they walked past him. Outside, the Hitmonlee was still dazed, trying to find his bearings all the way on the other side of the road.

He found Zed was already on a carriage, looking at his three friends finally exiting the saloon. "There you guys are! What took you so long?!" Slew and Rubert poked out from the front of the carriage to look at the rest of the team members. Just as Elly was about to explain however, the Krokorok burst out, looking round and spotting the group getting up on the carriage.

"Oi! Oi! I ain't done with ya yet, get back here! Oi! Riolu!" He kept calling for Eric, unaware of who he was talking to in the first place.

"You may not, but I am done with you!" The Riolu shouted back, earning himself a punch to the side by Elly.

"Don't taunt him!" Her reprimand was drowned out by the shouts and exclamations from the Krokorok, who stomped the ground and called him back, challenging him to a proper fight, insulting him, his companions, and even the carriage they were in, calling it "a turd on wheels".

"Goodness gracious, what did the poor carriage do to him anyways?! Doesn't he know carriages have feelings?" Rubert's comment earned him some chuckles as the last words of the Krokorok echoed before his voice was drowned out by the growing distance and the turning wheels of the carriage.

"I'll fuckin' find ya, ya hear me! And I'll beat yer arse so bad ye'll be shittin' outta yer mouth!" And with that, they were either too far away to make out anything coherent from his shouting, or the wheels drowned out the noise

"Alright… That just happened, I guess." Lucy was the first to break the silence, calm returning to the group as they looked at Eric accusingly, the Riolu raising his arms.

"What? He was beating up people in that bar, I didn't want him to hurt someone too badly."

"And in the process let him beat you up?" Elly inquired, the Riolu raising a finger to try and defend himself… but his words died in his throat, simply groaning and falling back on his seat, crossing his arms and looking away.

"I had it under control, promise… He just surprised me, he was very tough, like he was made out of iron." He remembered the point where he'd struck his side, and how the vibrations had returned to him. He definitely hadn't struck that guy's flesh.

Not that it mattered at that point, they probably wouldn't run into him ever again, so the group relaxed and tried to keep their heads in the game, and remember why they were there in the first place. Of course, this only made Lucy nervous once more as she fidgeted around, looking outside as the desert shifted before their eyes, groaning and grumbling again. Since they had nothing to do, Eric and Elly opted to call the other group, who were all the way across the region. "You guys wanna tell Serge and the others something?"

"Yes, that we wish they could've come along and that before I die I want to reiterate how much of an asshole Jake is." Eric rolled his eyes, done trying to talk and listen to her rumblings and grumblings as he waved a dismissive paw at her, then looked at Zed.

"I umm… don't have anything to say." His response made Eric sigh as Elly focused to contact them, only to find that Serge was also trying to contact them too.

" _We were just about to call you guys_." Elly commented as the communication was established, though she noticed she was having some issues keeping it clear. "Huh… weird. It feels harder to talk with them now."

"Probably because we're nearing the buried city!" Slew chimed in from the front, sounding rather excited.

" _Oh really? What, missed these voluptuous curves and soft feathers to carry your big furry ass, Elly?_ " He wasted no time getting under Eric's skin.

" _I don't know if she's missed any of those, but I can_ _ **tell**_ _you've been missing the feeling of a foot in your ass, Serge_." Elly chuckled at this.

" _Ah, Eric, as eloquent as ever! Tell me, have you tried carrying her around on your back? Or are you too accustomed to letting her ride you in bed? I'll warn you that the cowgirl position, while highly pleasurable and enjoyable for males, denotes only weakness in the face of the opposite sex._ "

" _Alright, please shut up before I show you your weakness, Serge_." The Eevee definitely wanted to kick his ass for that one. " _Anyways, what's going on over there?_ "

" _Any time Elly. And as for what's going on, we travelled for a few hours, arrived at the forest, had a lovely picnic with Tharmius and…_ " The Eevee's face paled when he said this.

"Oh Arceus, he's there?!" She ended up saying that both in the psychic link and out loud, which caught her companions off-guard. Eric quickly calmed them down, and summed up what Serge had just told them.

"They just ran into Tharmius when they got to the forest."

"Shit… What's that fucker doing there?!" Lucy's inquiry would go unanswered, since no one knew exactly what was going through the Kommo-O's mind.

Regardless, Eric sighed. " _Of course he would… Please tell me you didn't argue too much with him. Or anyone there for that matter."_ There was a short awkward silence, in which Eric and Elly looked at each other, concerned.

" _Well, referring to that I have some bad news and some terrible news_." Eric sighed and rubbed the bridge of his muzzle. It di

" _...Arceus, if you're there, grant us strength. Alright, what the hell did you do Serge?_ " The fact that he could tell he smirking from just the smugness in his voice only helped Eric clench his fist and wish he were there in front of him so he could flatten that beak.

" _Why, I asked Tharmius what he thought of the weather, and he decided to laugh evilly, like he does, and said he likes it more when the blood of the innocents is raining down on our heads._ " Eric and Elly rolled their eyes, clearly not amused." _He also totally asked where you were, interested, and I do mean,_ _ **very**_ _interested to know of your whereabouts._ " Elly shivered when she heard this, clearly uncomfortable to hear that Tharmius was still actively chasing them, or more specifically, her.

" _And what did you tell him?_ " Elly quickly cut in.

" _I told him that if he wanted to, he could go ask his mother about it. He must've loved his mummy a lot because he broke down crying and he took off running. After that we found the village and found out that they were just having a massive orgy, which we all joined in because that's what you do. Also, Nox lost his virginity_." He didn't even get a single chuckle or smirk from either of the pokémon. Given what they knew, neither was in the mood for jokes.

" _...You had us fooled until you said Nox lost his virginity. Now out with it, Serge._ " It seemed that the Pidgeot had caught on due to their deadpan tone.

" _We exchanged a few words and death threats, told me he liked me, and I asked him for a fancy dinner. Not kidding that actually happened_."

" _Right… I think we got lucky that we didn't go there, things might've gone south if we did._ " She was still very much worried about their forced extended stay in Cunabula. " _What else?_ "

" _Well, after that, we went into the forest, got lost for a bit, then found a clearing, and we had a run in with my secret admirer._ " It was when he said this that his voice suddenly cut off, Eric and Elly looking at each other in confusion.

"What just happened? Did the link die?" Elly looked around, flabbergasted, as the others did the same, with Zed and Lucy quickly catching on that something was off. The carriage stopped just a few seconds later, and Rubert hit the top. "We're here, you lot!" They heard the sound of feet landing on the sand, and Slew opened the carriage curtains to let them out.

"Come on, we need to continue on foot. You'll see why."

"Can we um… take a few steps back, we were talking with a friend just now." Elly's request was granted, as Slew let them outside, she took a few steps, and sure enough, she managed to re-establish the communication. " _Hey, we're back._ " She called once she knew that the Pidgeot was back in the line." _We just got to the buried city and figured out why we can't communicate normally inside of it: it acts like a b_ ubble that keeps psychic waves and probably any other sort of energy based wave within its confines, probably by disrupting it. A side effect of the Miasma I'm pretty sure… Serge?" It took her a few minutes to realize that the communication was dead again.

"Oh for the love of-" Eric took her and walked further away, and once they felt it worked, though once again, barely, he spoke. " _Alright, we've moved further away. What was that about your fan?_ "

" _Remember that pokémon that beat my face in back in Cunabula?_ " The Riolu's face visibly soured when he said this, already getting a slight idea of where this was going. " _Turns out that they're Ayame Shimizu, and they're a mercenary out for my head for some reason. Apparently we're talking about sextuple digits… Heh, I said sex._ " His jokes came out more as obnoxious than anything else for the Riolu, who simply rolled his eyes.

" _I thought you said that you had cut off and tied up all loose ends from back then._ " _  
_

" _I did._ " Eric glared at Elly, a look that said that he didn't believe the Pidgeot now.

" _So why is she after you?_ "

" _I don't know._ " The Riolu rolled his eyes, about to cut him off then and there." _I legitimately don't know why. I'm pretty sure she's found an old offer and hasn't caught up to speed. I managed to shake her off by telling her she could have part of the money from the expedition… if they even give us money. Either way, it's fixed now, so no worries for a while._ "

Eric rubbed the bridge of his nose, his mate looking at him with worry. There were definitely a lot of things to worry about now, most prominently the fact that there was someone completely unrelated hunting one of their companions down. "Right, nothing to worry about, whatever he says…" He sighed and returned to the psychic conversation. " _We're gonna have to talk with her, we can't just pay her to leave us alone for a short while, we won't be able to sust_ ain paying her with all of the expenses that team already takes care of… It cut off again didn't it?" He had felt something in the back of his head, and Elly nodded, closing her eyes as he threw his paws up. "Wonderful."

"It didn't cut because we got too close. Apparently someone else got into the channel. Must be something important… we ought to get going as well." Elly wasn't wrong, and Serge already told them everything that they needed to know. "Still, Tharmius being down there… what does that man want?"

"He's probably trying to find some dirt on us to complicate our lives further, and with Serge having a mercenary after his head it's going to be real easy."

"Eric, he said he doesn't know where she came from, and it could be that she found an outdated offer."

"That's very, very unlikely Elly, and you know it." He rubbed his face as they walked towards the group, sighing. "Brilliant. Just peachy, just what we needed, even more pressure from other areas. I swear, it's like everything that can go wrong is going wrong." He kept walking with his eyes closed and rubbing them whilst Elly alternated between looking at him and at the ground below her. It really did seem that the happy, relaxing times were over, and everything was back to the way it'd been prior to her father's death. They both knew this, and the others knew it too, but no one wanted to admit it.

Regardless, as it stood they had more pressing and immediate matters to worry about, such as the massive, gaping hole in the desert before them. Neither of them had gone back to the desert ruins after what had happened down in the lake, and Zed and Lucy had never been there to begin with. So the sight of that massive black hole in what was an otherwise even stretch of crimson sand was quite striking. It was so big, dented with what seemed like the tips of the skyscrapers, covered in sand. Peering down was ill-advised, the sand could give way at any point and drag them down. Instead Rubert and Slew directed them to what seemed like a small, temporary settlement. Tents, carriages, pokémon bustling back and forth: archeologists, workers, transporters, everyone collaborated to make the process as smooth and quick as possible under the harsh conditions the desert provided: the harsh sun, the bitter after taste of the dust, lungs full of sand.

"Wow… this place has definitely changed ever since I was last here." Not far away, Eric pointed at the badlands as he said this. "That's where the entrance was too."

"You mean to tell me that…" Zed looked all the way from the badlands and to where they were standing. Given the contrast it was really hard to see anything that wasn't directly underneath the open hole. "This whole place, underneath our paws, is this entire city?"

"We don't know exactly how big it is." Rubert pointed out as he and Slew led them to the camp, greeting and waving some of their companions as they did. "But just what we've discovered covers what you just pointed out little guy, and then some." He was obviously referring to Zed, who was still in awe.

"How could humans build such a massive city?"

"Their technology was much more advanced than ours." Slew began explaining as they pushed through the heart of the camp. The relics piled up and were separated in piles, with a large amount of iron rods and other indistinguishable machines making up the largest piles, with a smaller, and certainly the most morbid of all, faded pictures and photographs, showing humans smiling at the viewer. The sight thoroughly chilled them, something that Rubert noticed.

"Creepy, eh? Almost like they're taunting us from the grave… but honestly, if that's making ya shake in your boots, just wait until we go down there. You'll be wettin' the bed tonight kiddos." His words weren't comforting, but at the very least he was warning them. Slew had covered the most common effects of the Miasma already, but the Sigilyph's words only made the anticipation worse.

"Right… Anyways, this isn't exactly what we were expecting when you took us here… We were expecting to see something strange too, like those cloaked figures that you mentioned, but so far nothing like that has happened." Lucy's wishful thinking was paying off in a way. Nobody had suddenly appeared and teleported in front of them to slit their throats, so things were already looking up, a sentiment that the others shared.

They didn't keep them waiting for too long.

Among the workers, a certain bunch, spread out around them, were eyeing them suspiciously, carrying pickaxes, hammers or some other tool. The team was already on high alert when they got there, and thankfully, didn't miss these details. "Eric, have you noticed…" Elly quickly motioned her head in the direction of one of them, and the Riolu nodded, quickly pointing it out to Rubert and Slew as well.

"I don't know what they're doing… Hey!" Rubert's voice changed from his amicable self to stern and chastising. "What are you doing, carrying those tools like that you fools! You break 'em doing stupid shit and it comes out of your cut, you hear!" The workers he pointed at returned to their work, dropping those potential weapons and alleviating the tension in the air… though it would take just a fleeting shadow behind them for Elly to quickly turn around and blast away a Fraxure with her powers.

After this, everything went by in the blink of an eye, as the other pokémon pounced the group, a Heliolisk coming swinging from the side with a pickaxe, Zed ducking under and then transforming into a Cranidos to bash his steel head into his stomach, blowing the air and probably the day's lunch out of him as he kneeled down in great pain. A drillbur, bearing no weapon, burst out from the sand underneath Lucy, attempting to tear her to shreds, only for the sand particles that he'd shot out to come crashing right back into him and solidifying, both Rubert and Slew's eyes glowing as the duo held out a wing and a hand respectively, and slammed him around before flinging him upward and letting gravity do the rest, using their psychic powers in unison.

The last two pokémon, a Diggersby and a Baltoy, were quickly dispatched soon after the confrontation started, the Baltoy bringing down a pickaxe on Eric's head, who reached up to catch it on its way down, then slung forward and kicked off the Baltoy, hurling the tool away and blasting him with an aura sphere, the Diggersby readying a hammer, and when he swung it down, he'd find it was levitating above him, thanks to Elly's psychic as she let it fall on his head, dying him enough for Eric to deliver a series of furious blows to his stomach, Lucy blitzing around him and getting enough speed to then bounce off of the pile of metal and the two of them to impact the Diggersby at the same time, toppling the large pokémon and possibly dissuading any further attack.

"Alright then, next time I'll just stay quiet." Lucy said this in a mixture of annoyance, whilst Rubert, who looked beyond angered, grabbed the Baltoy and held him aloft in front of him.

"Alright, what's the big idea?! Attacking guests and your bosses?!" He shook him. "Answer! Answer or we'll turn you in this instant!"

"Screw you… Rich assholes…"

"What was that you s-""Rubert, let him down, you're choking him." The Sigilyph hadn't actually noticed it yet, but he was holding him up by the neck, promptly releasing him and letting him land on the sand roughly, rolling onto his back and trying to cower away.

"They were right, you only care about this trash… Who cares about the past? The now is what matters, and what's happening now is that you're paying us all little to nothing!" He stood up, panting. "You constantly berate us for taking whatever we find to send back to our families."

"I get berated as well for doing the same thing. Archeology isn't exactly a lucrative business, not all the time anyways."

"But we need the money now! We don't need it in a few months, we need it now!" The Baltoy's frustration was bubbling. "And I don't see why you'd need to get things for yourself, you've got 'nough fame and money to last ya a lifetime, you privileged asshole! You and your entourage do!" He couldn't be further from the truth, but at this point he'd probably been convinced by those cloaked figures of the opposite. "Doesn't matter to me, either way. I've done my part, those I care about will be better off now. Do your worst."

They all stared at him in silence, and out of everyone in the group, it was Elly who took a step forward. "If you think you'll go down as a martyr of sorts, you're wrong. We don't do that here. Tell us, why did you help them?"

"Why? Simple: they're the only ones who care about us. While the rest of the world keeps on building heaps of money at our expense, Hoenn is constantly attacked and stripped bare of its population, sent over to Unova for forced works, and even Kanto and Johto, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same way here. The slave trade is just one of many issues, but you lot just keep living your lives, thinking that everything's fine and dandy… specially you assholes, you "rescuers" and "explorers". You call yourselves heroes, but this whole time you've barely cared about what is happening outside of your bubble."

The team members wanted to explain all that happened and why things weren't so simple as he thought… but at the end of the day, none of that mattered, the crushing feeling that he was right sneaking up on them. Explaining it further would just mean they were wasting their breath with the pokémon, and they had more pressing matters. This thought hit Elly the most specially, they always had more important things to do than helping those in need it seemed.

"Guys let's get going. If these guys are here to try and stop us then that means that they've already gone down into the city. If we ask around we may be able to gauge where they went."

The group split up, keeping an eye out for more rebels, though thankfully no one else wanted to fight. Whether they had actually been convinced by the cloaked pokémon and were afraid to attack the explorers, or simply didn't want any part in what was happening they didn't know. Eventually however, when they compiled the information, they found it all matched up: the figures had come, walked past the group with nobody stopping them, took the lift down, and then descended further down into a crevice.

"Right, we have no time to waste." Eric took the lead, looking at Slew and Rubert. "You guys stay up here, we'll take care of this."

"You lot sure you want to go down there without any help? We don't know how many of their goons they've got with them." Eric looked at Rubert and Slew, then looked at the others. Elly gave him a blank look that basically said to do what he thought best, Zed was looking nervously at Lucy, whilst the Shinx simply glared at the Riolu, her opinion obvious. Regardless, he was the one that would make the last call… and so he did.

"We'll be fine. We've dealt with these bastards before." Once again, it seemed like he'd gone for the most unpopular opinion, as Lucy's huff would show. Either way, Slew and Rubert did as they were told, and the team silently boarded the wooden elevator. It was held aloft by ropes and pulleys, which slowly began to lower them down into the city.

"Well, at least we won't have to waste too much money on the burial." Lucy commented as they descended. Eric turned around to face them.

"Listen up. We don't need this. Not now." He was obviously referring to Lucy, but his words would apply to the others too. "We don't know if we're going to pull through unscratched, but with that attitude and acting so negatively, we won't." Lucy was glaring daggers at him as he spoke. "If we work together, and with some luck, we can get through… that's my promise, and I'll put my life on the line if I have to."

"Heh… I'll hold you to that then." Lucy spouted out, neither convinced or moved by his words. He simply stared back, his shoulders straightening as he looked forward. Elly reached his arm, but he only seemed to be focused on what was ahead of them, the Eevee giving Lucy a deadly glare, which made her feel ever so slightly guilty. Even though the Riolu's shoulders couldn't be any higher, he was carrying an extremely heavy burden. The didn't speak a word as the elevator touched the ground, its racketing finally falling silent as the deadly silence of the buried city enveloped them.

( **Land of Morytha - Xenoblade Chronicles 2)**

Halfway down there they'd felt it: the change in the air, becoming viced, harder to breathe, a certain density and aftertaste that brought uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, accentuating the dread that coursed through their bodies as they walked through the remains of a once great civilization. The main road had mostly been cleared out, but still debris of various sizes, rocks, cars and the sort sprawled all over the place. They began walking, eyes glued to what lay before them, trying to focus on their goal, even if their curiosity and the shadows tempted them to look to the sides. The sun was still above them, illuminating all of the buildings, casting long shadows over the roads, hiding all sorts of insidious monsters and deformities that dwelled in their imaginations in the looming darkness.

If anything, the light made things far more unsettling, the empty windows staring at them like empty sockets, turning to face them as they moved. The worst however, would be those glazed over eyes, reflecting the light of the sun, and yet behind them they could see them, those ghastly shapes. Slow, creeping, tall shades of various sizes. Some amorphous, some plain, some creatures they didn't even recognize. The Miasma was affecting them much faster than they'd been told, that much was clear. It was unbelievably terrifying, seeing nothing but those shades, not a single ounce of life around them. At times, they even forgot they had their companions with them too, an unsettling loneliness crushing them.

Lucy would step on something wet and sticky, dragging her out of her trance into a hurried panic as she gasped and looked down, expecting a horrific crimson mess, but instead was looking at papers and folders, strewn about. Above them, what looked like an office building had been toppled, windows cracked or broken, a myriad of glass shards laid around the ground in haphazardous patterns, forcing them to trudge through one by one. Black tendrils and wires hung from the hollowed out buildings, chairs, desks, mangled metal contraptions and most disturbingly of all, skeletons, clad in drapes that once had been clothes. The structures had been deemed too unsafe to salvage and thus had been left the way they were, the strange, disturbing sights forever frozen in time. Bodies bent out of shape, crushed against the glass, dark grime pooled around them… they shuddered to imagine the human's last moments.

Death and destruction were all that surrounded them, and it helped put things into perspective for them: their struggles, their problems, their fights and their constant berating of one another… it was a drop in an endless sea compared to all that surrounded them. It was awesome, in an archaic sense of the word, further cementing the idea that they were amongst the dead, right then and there. And whatever had happened to them wasn't pretty. Not one bit. They forced themselves to continue, and found another ridge, which Eric recognized: back when he'd been fighting alone he'd crossed this chasm to reach the lake further beyond, though it seemed that a few meters on the other side darkness once again swallowed up everything, the light of sun not reaching that area. They didn't have to go there however, instead peering down into the black abyss that stretched down. Buildings, iron rods with signs on them, debris, glass, machines, all of it had fallen into the abyss, littering the fall with many dangers and impediments.

"We're… going down there? Arceus…" It was simply breathtaking, but in a negative sense, as Elly's words would barely slither out of her mouth. Zed stood besides his mate, clutching her paw, and she returned the affection. They were scared: of what could potentially happen, that this could be their grave, scared of the spirits, of that dark chasm, of everything around them. Eric and Elly had seen sights like these in that future that never was, sights the thought they'd forgotten and left behind… and yet here it was, the mark of destruction and despair, repeated once more.

"We just go in circles." Eric said as he looked into the abyss. "These humans suffered a fate like the one we went through with the time freeze, the complete destruction and annihilation of their species." He closed his eyes. The aura levels in this place were simply insane, like the placed pulsed with a sort of ghostly, invisible life, enveloping them in a thick mist that made their bones shudder and freeze. "But we won't end up like them, not while we live." He looked at his companions. "Let's continue." At this point, it was clear what was happening: he was really just putting on a brave face, but he was just as unsettled and distraught as the others.

"Fuck this. No." Lucy broke down, unable to hold it back, stopping where she stood and looking at the pokémon in front of her. "We're all scared shitless, and we know what's going to fucking happen, so let's just go back! We still have time!" Her proposition was tempting, extremely so. This place was messing with their minds and their courage. Already, they felt the effects of the Miasma weighting on them, wondering just much decaying matter they'd breathed in thus far, a thought that utterly disgusted the group.

"We're already too far in, Lucy. We were the moment we became what we are now. You're free to turn around and leave this place if you're willing to look at those traitors up there and convince them that you aren't the coward they think you are, someone who'd rather stay hidden and wait for everything to blow over." He looked at his companions. "We all became explorers for one reason: to find those that would upset and destroy peace, and bring them to justice. And if you joined for any other reason then… I'm sad to say, this isn't the place for you."

"I…" Lucy's mind wandered briefly to what had happened yesterday, staying silent for a few minutes, and remaining still. Eric began walking again, turning to face the elevator. Elly stuck right besides him, trying to stay as strong as he was, whilst Zed showed just a small hint of weakness and looked at his mate, doubt in his eyes, before turning to chase after their friends. She weighed her options, and Eric's words.

 _But… what I've got nowhere_ _ **to**_ _go?_

"Wait!" Lucy shouted, and chased after them. "You guys'll get torn to shreds if I don't tag along." She too tried to put on a brave face, failing miserably however. She didn't want to discuss how she'd reached the conclusion of going down into that pit with them, and she would probably start regretting it soon… but she tried to grip onto that courageous spur as she got on that wooden, creaking platform, the others looking at her and nodding, even Eric letting a brief smirk slip through as he pulled the lever, and the platform began slowly descending.

(Stop the music)

The darkness would swallow them quickly, descending as everything went dark. Eric used his aura sphere to make a small white light, deforming the colors around them, showing the rock behind them as a pale amalgamation of ridges and iron rods that seemed to burst out to try and stab at them. At once point, the light would be reflected at them, a window shining back at them as the elevator went straight through a mangle building, the atmosphere within much more different, much more viced, and the scent of putrefaction would sneak around them. No one wanted to explore further, the icy grip of fear tightening around their hearts and lengthening the trip.

The sound of something snapping, steps scurrying away, and heavy breathing around them as they kept going down, the ricketing of the rope and the boards underneath them giving way to such terrifying sounds… or perhaps, there truly was something or someone lurking in the shadows. Whatever it was, it disappeared as swiftly as it appeared once they left that building, and only then did they all realize just how close they were sticking together, and how tense they were, the hairs of their furs on end.

An oppressive silence would be waiting for them at the bottom of the chasm, were to their surprise, they'd see some lights. As the elevator touched the bottom, they'd feel the cold, hard asphalt and cement under their paws, and they began moving as a unit once more. A few feet into that abyss, they cross under a bent street lamp, which was somehow still working. In front of them, the ruins of an office building had cables sprawled around the area, broken as sparks would fly off every so often, lights flickering on and off and illuminating a path into the building. Seemingly the only way forward through the debris, they continued, and soon, they'd hear noises and voices coming from deeper inside.

"We must hurry… we know not when they could arrive. Have you managed to figure out the mechanism?"

"Yes, but the process will take some time sadly. The human language is much, much more different than ours, and I fear that a miscalculated input could irremediably damage what lies within."

"Well, whatever the case, we mustn't take long. If the entire team were to come here, I doubt we'd be able to take them all on without suffering heavy losses."

There were three different voices speaking. The first sounded impatient, fidgeting about, the closest of the three, the second Elly immediately recognized as the voice that had responded during that psychic conversation up on the howling spire: the Pursuer. And as for the third voice… nobody recognized it. The voices would keep on discussing the arrival of a team, which they guessed was them, and for a second… they all looked at each other, confused. Were they truly afraid of them?

By now, they'd spread out around the area, and looked around: there were more pokémon there, probably henchmen standing guard in case of a surprise attack. " _Right… Zed, you think you can transform into one of these guys to get a better idea of the situation?_ " Eric's request was met with a shrug from the Zorua, who looked around for a pokémon he thought might work best. He spotted a Tyrogue, and with his stature being somewhat similar to a Riolu's, he went for it, Eric following after him as the Riolu snuck up behind and dragged him into the shadows, out of sight, whilst Zed quickly touched and transformed into him. He was a perfect copy, except for his eye color: the Tyrogue's were green, Zed's were purple. Such a minimal detail would probably go unnoticed in the dim light, and leaving his crystal behind, he'd assume his position and stand guard. The others would wait behind the debris, watching him move around and taking note of their patterns themselves.

As Zed neared where the three figures were standing, he peered inside the building. They were all wearing the same black cloaks, but none of them were wearing their hoods, and he could see that while two of them stood on two legs, the third one was a quadruped. However, the darkness and the angle of the light coming from the strange coffin of glass and iron in front of them made it hard to tell what they were, even as one of the bipedal ones turned to look at the entrance and saw the Zorua transformed Tyrogue. They exchanged a look, and the Zorua quickly reacted and stood straight, saluting the trio before walking away, the image of that sarcophagus burned into his mind. An eerie silence followed his escape behind him as he walked away, before the voices resumed, making him sigh in relief.

There were only three more guards, so they'd have no issues taking care of them if they took advantage of the darkness. They moved in, taking care of the pokémon one by one… though on the second one, a loud crack would echo in the cavern, lights flaring to life as they blinded them all, surprising even the trio within. Their two remaining targets would react immediately, one of them being smashed into the floor by Eric's aura charged fist, whilst the other guard and Zed, who was still in his transformed state, backed up, trying to fake the fact that he wasn't that guard.

The three cloaked figures came out of the crumbled building shortly after, the machinery behind them wiring to life as it started vibrating slightly as they glared at Team Star. "Well well well… And here we were wondering how long it'd take for you to show up, Team Star… I must say, I'm surprised to see that there's only four you here." The mention of a fourth member alerted Zed, who barely avoided the swipe from the figure closest to him, shadowy claws lashing out as he managed to transform into an Ekans to slither away, then Pidgey to fly and retreat, and finally back to his Zorua form.

"How'd they…" The figure that had attacked him stood straight, twisting those claws of theirs as they smirked, falling back in line with the other two.

"Don't think you're the only one with power over shadows, Zorua. Even those that don't belong to your kin can have powers that rival, or even surpass your own."

"Such is the power of the fragments… but let us not digress any further: We'd been expecting our agents up on the surface to warn us of your impending arrival, but it seems like you lost the element of surprise in a chance accident. A shame, though it shall make your demise ever so brief and simple." He stretched a hand out towards them, and the team moved quickly to avoid the following rush of rocks that fell on their heads.

"We have no intentions of dying here! Besides, last time we heard, you were pretty scared of us and when we'd show up!" Lucy exclaimed, trying to make it seem as if they weren't scared of that trio of fighters.

"Oh please, I think you didn't understand what we meant, little kitty." The rightmost figure spoke, waving an arm back and forth. "We were only worried all seven of you might show up here, but seeing as there's only four of you then… this makes things much easier. Such a shame we have to get rid of most of you." They were looking right at Eric and Zed, whilst Elly and Lucy only got brief glances, confusing the females greatly.

"You'll take them over our cold dead bodies, you filthy bastards." Eric threatened, pulling out his light staff, already getting a good idea of what they wanted. To his surprise however, the figures shook their heads.

"Idiot… We care not for those primal needs or physical pleasures." The Pursuer sounded offended, given how irritated he sounded.

"Yeah, and even if you tried I doubt you'd be able to g-" Grown tired of this constant berating, the Pursuer disappeared, and Eric successfully predicted he'd appear behind them. He did, just above their heads, coming down with his blades on Eric and Zed, the Riolu effectively blocking the attacks on the two of them. However, before he had a chance to counter, a sharp pain in his side distracted him, seeing something blinking past him, the other figure suddenly being in front of, him chuckling and then kicking him away into the center of the arena whilst that creature and Lucy clashed together, both of their speeds giving out sparks as they began to blitz around.

"The hell?! He's going so fast!" Elly's exclamation would go unnoticed by the others, as they had to focus on the figures starting their attack on them, whilst the remaining guard just ran away, clearly outmatched by both sides. Elly focused on the Pursuer, trying to draw his attention to her as she rushed in and sliced at him with her psychic blades, the bipedal creature vaulting over her as their blades crossed and slashed, his momentum changing in midair as he slung back over to her back, landed on his feet and attempted to cleave her in half, putting her blades in place to block… only to see him disappear, immediately bringing up a psychic barrier to block, only for the blades to crash in from behind her, breaking her barrier but breaking those blades too, both parties sliding backwards.

Elly brought forward her dark matter as a hail of rocks flew at her, the rocks crashing against the barrier, and then shooting back at the Pursuer just as fast, surprising him as he was hit by some and teleported higher up, away from the hail. The last figure however, was nowhere to be seen.

"Elly behind you!" Zed's screech would make her turn around to receive a kick to the face from the seemingly invisible creature, mimetized with the environment to the point where he was barely visible, save from the shadow they casted on the ground. Eric came in quickly to protect her, but he'd find he was overwhelmed by the sudden reappearance of the Pursuer, whose psychic blades spiraled and forced him to cross his staff as he moved, cutting his arm right below his shoulder several times, howling in pain as he'd swing at him, only harming his arm further, only to receive a vicious blow from the one rushing around, being chased by Lucy, who was actually attempting to catch up, bouncing off of walls, only for them to outpace her and taunt her as she rushed by.

She blitzed at him to try and crash into him, only for the creature to jump over and kick her into the ground, and with all her momentum sliding and slightly burning her fur and chest, screaming in pain as she felt the burn from the friction. "What? Can't even protect yourself from the friction? How long have you been running, kitty cat?"

"You… shut up you mother fucker!" She'd strike him with one of her bolts… and he'd just take it with no issues.

"Hmmm… thanks!" He'd then return the bolt at her, but unlike him, she couldn't even attempt to absorb it, her body taking the voltage and, though she survived with ease, it shocked her, giving her a taste of her own medicine as Zed moved in to try and help her, only to be forced to back away as the Pursuer lunged in. It was nearly impossible to do anything without them teleporting in the way, and his two followers only made matters worse. Elly was being distracted by the pokémon blitzing around her, trying to get through her defenses as he struck at her barriers and her dark matter, keeping up a constant pressure whilst she looked for some way to defend herself.

She saw him charge at her straight on, and she used her water barrier… but at the last second, he'd be replaced by the Pursuer, who slashed at the barrier and buried his heel into her face, throwing her away. This enraged Eric, who got up and rushed him, swinging wildly as his strikes would just go right through what he soon figured out was an illusion, claws shooting straight to the back of his head and scratching one of his aura feelers, which would blind his aura vision for a few seconds, making him howl in pain as blood seeped and tainted his fur, then managed to barely block an upward slice of the Pursuer's blade, throwing him to the air where he'd continue blocking strikes from his blades as he hovered down after him… and as he countered he'd teleport away only for the extremely quick one to smash into him and crash into the ground, knocking the wind out of his lungs.

Before he could even get up a foot stomped down on his chest, pinning him to the floor under the weight of what he assumed was the Pursuer. He grabbed his foot, trying to get it off of him, but it proved useless, since it felt like it was as heavy as a tauros, crushing him, making him roar out in pain.

"Let him go!" Elly screamed, unable to move either because of the wounds her body had sustained. Lucy was still writhing on the ground, groaning from the pain and Zed was busy trying to tell apart the real attackers from fake clones, his own native ability making him able to easily distinguish.

"Not bad… but…" The cloaked creature rushed at Zed directly, who transformed into a Cranidos to take him head on, but instead they jumped above him and stomped his head, distracting him briefly before the speedster blitzed past Zed, kicking his legs and down into the ground, and then the illusionist would pounce the Zorua again, and begin choking him with a hand, pinning him to the ground and cutting off his air ducts. "How does it feel, hmm? On the brink of death while someone else looks down on you, staring death in the face… Do you like it, Zed?"

The Zorua might've been choking and unable to focus enough to transform, but he wasn't too far gone to ignore the fact that he'd just called him by name. Either way, he didn't give up on fighting, even as the others were unable to move because of their wounds: Lucy's chest and legs were burnt, with the fur somewhat gone and blood from the exposed skin, Elly was coughing up and trying to get up from the intense pain in her face and stomach from the kicks the Speedster had dealt to her, and Eric was pinned down by the Pursuer's foot, which felt heavier and heavier every time. Lucy's words and worries echoed in his head as tears of frustration and fear swelled up. Could this really be it? "B-bastard…"

"You know, all things considered you're lucky you got here before we opened this coffin…" The Pursuer looked at the steel chest with the glass cover, which was stained and didn't allow anyone to look within.

"W-why? What's inside that… coffin." Eric could barely breathe, he could feel the gravity crushing him against the floor, seeing just the slightest hint of glee in the Pursuer's eyes as his head twitched slightly.

"Aaaah, so you're interested then, ya little fucker?" His voice and mannerisms changed immediately, walking away, though the gravity on his body didn't change. "Well, we sensed some sort of gravitational distortion around this area, not unlike what you're feeling right now, Riolu… and obviously, we were interested in finding the source and using it to our advantage. So imagine our surprise… when we found it wasn't a something, but someone~" They approached the cover and caressed the glass in an overly dramatic way, laughing. "A new member to add to our ranks with such a terrifying power!"

Eric would groan and howl as the gravity increased, his paws opening as he was being pressed harder and harder against the pavement… anymore, and his bones would start to break and bend. The Pursuer was still very much gleeful and stepped outside. "They should be coming out, any second now… Actually, I'll have them finish you off, bloodthirsty one, they are." They chuckled, the machine shaking and vibrating, having bought enough time during the fight to get it to open.

With a loud "snap", the lights would die, and the only visible light would be that of the coffin as the lid slowly hissed and opened, a cold mist flowing out as it slowly lifted, the pursuer taking a few steps back to avoid any repercussions from touching that mist… and as he did, he'd see it first, followed shortly by the others. Slowly, a pink paw would grab the edge of the coffin and an Espurr would sit up slowly, stretching and yawning softly, looking around. "Hmmmm… what? Morning already? The whole place is dark…" The light would return almost right after, and her eyes would land on the group of pokémon standing outside. She looked at the Pursuer and his followers, then at Eric, and when she looked at Elly…

"Oh! Hey guys! Been a long time since I last saw you!" The silence that followed her words utterly shocked and confused the group as the Espurr slowly climbed out of the coffin, stretching. "Ugh, my back is killing me, along with the rest of my body, including my gnoggin!" She sounded awfully cheerful as she just casually brushed by the Pursuer, who couldn't even begin to understand what was going on. The Espurr just casually walked up to Eric, her pace relaxed and even slightly playful, humming to herself, and tapping his body. The instant she did the weight on the Riolu's body would be lifted, flabbergasting the Pursuer as she proceeded to help Eric up and dust him off, patting his belly, his legs and his tail. "There! Now you at least look presentable!"

"I… W-who are you?" His body was still aching from the crushing, though he could properly stand now, summon his staff with his moving arm, their foes tensing up again for a fight.

"Boss, what's going on?! Why does she know them!?" The Speedster quickly called out, voicing their leader's worries, as their silence spoke volumes of their confusion and rage.

"Why, silly don't you remember me? It's me, Cherry!" The Espurr simply introduced herself right then and there. The Pursuer didn't wait any longer, summoning its own blades silently.

"Damn you… I was expecting to gain an ally, but if you are acquainted with Team Star." He suddenly disappeared, and reappeared on top of Eric and Cherry, coming down with his swords to impale them. "You're also our enem-"

"You know, it's very rude to interrupt two people when they're talking." She was staring right at him, way before he'd appeared out of his rift.

"What?" He had just a split second to panic before his body was thrown away by the weight of the steel coffin and the glass lid that had been keeping Cherry asleep for however long she'd been there, the psychic type grabbing on to it, winking at Eric and then being flung away too. They twisted and spun in the air as the lid was ripped off and flew in a seemingly random direction… catching the Pursuer as he teleported once more.

"What?!" Was the only exclamation he could let out as his teleportation was read and predicted accurately once again, throwing him to the floor twirling and crashing whilst Cherry stood on the mangled remains of the upside down hovering coffin, stomping and posing with her hands on her hips. The once darkened lights lighting up once more, coincidentally point at Cherry from underneath, casting a large shadow on the wall as she posed.

( **Fly me to the Moon - Bayonetta** )

"As I said: It's so very, very rude to interrupt people when they're speaking!" She sighed, the wreckage crashing down as gravity affected it again. She walked away from the wreckage as she dusted herself, huffing, kicking an iron bolt at the wall, for simply no reason. "Talk about a rude awakening… Hey, wasn't that the name of the first chapter of the first book?" The confusion she caused allowed Team Star to quickly recover: Eric flung a sphere at the Illusionist, who had to back off from Zed, allowing him to breathe whilst Lucy managed to stand up and run and crash into the Speedster, who afterwards received a brutal blow from Elly's dark matter fist, throwing him further away. "Let's dance, people!" She posed once more with a smile.

" **Kill them all!** " The Pursuer called out, standing up and throwing his blades at the group whilst they got to fight again.

"Elly above you!" Cherry's voice called out quickly, the Eevee looking up seconds before the Pursuer would appear there, already noticing his mistake and glaring at Cherry as he did so, before being clobbered by Elly's dark fist. The normal type quickly looked at Eric, who nodded, grabbed onto the dark matter and was flung at the Pursuer, who he kept attacking and swinging at with his staff. Even with his cut up arm, Eric growled and attacked with fervor. "Eric behind you!" He looked behind himself. "No, to your right!" He quickly twisted when she called out the new location, just in time to see the Pursuer's left arm slithering out of thin air, grabbing his staff and slamming its end into his face as it peeked.

"Gah!" He was launched backwards and away, teleporting once more to a safe distance away from the group, holding his face, spitting out bloody. "How… how can you tell where I'm going to appear?! This is..."

"Silly, you're leaving holes!" Cherry herself suddenly vanished, much to his surprise, and he'd feel something tapping the back of his head. He swung behind him, but found she was long gone, sensing some sort of growing pressure as he had to focus to counter whatever her powers were. This was completely unexpected, and it was clear that none of them knew how to react. As she returned to her original position, she'd start prancing about, tapping rocks and iron beams, singing and whistling to herself happily, seemingly disconnected from everything else that was going on.

While this exchange was going down, Lucy had returned to blitzing around with the Speedster, but this time she had a better plan and coordination with Elly, who was standing right next to Zed. The Illusionist approached from their left, using a sea of clones to try and confuse themselves among the crowd, but Zed could tell him apart, and at the very last moment he told Elly exactly who it was through the crystals, the Eevee retaliating with her blades as she blocked the upper swipe, using his body as leverage as she blasted him with psychic energy straight at Zed, who slammed into his back as a Cranidos, making him howl out in pain. The Pursuer reacted quickly and teleported to him, the two Team Star members getting a heads up from Cherry shortly before he teleported, backing away as he got his team mate out from between them, Cherry doing the same as the Speedster rushed at Zed's head, making him miss and lose his balance enough for Lucy to knock him off balance completely, crashing and slowing down enough for him to be pummeled by Elly's dark matter fist.

They rolled and backed off, jumping backwards and returning to his ally's side, either having gotten away with little to no wounds or faking his pain quite well. Either way, he surprised Elly, who could've sworn she'd hit him with every single blow. Cherry reappeared on her head.

"Hey Elly! Wanna do the thing?" She suddenly asked, debris floating up around them, pieces of rock and metal she'd touched with her hands, floating ominously around the cloaked pokémon.

"The thing?" The Eevee inquired, looking at the debris as they began moving in closer… "Oh! I see!" She caught on quickly, and added her psychic powers on top of whatever Cherry was using. The result was the mass of rocks and metals closing in even faster, crashing into the trio and threatening to crush them if it wasn't for the Pursuer's own psychic barrier, but there was no stopping whatever Cherry was doing, making him struggle and wince.

"Damn you! Who are you?!"

"Silly, weren't you listening earlier?" Cherry smiled and stood right on Elly's head, spinning and giving them one last pose. "I am Cherry, back from my nap, and ready to kick butt!" She blew them a kiss, making the Pursuer become angered, blasting both psychic and gravitational waves from himself, and this time the rocks did fly away, prompting Elly to protect herself, Zed, Lucy and Cherry whilst Eric used his staff to block and deflect all the debris.

( **Stop the music)**

"You… you little…!" The Pursuer seemed about ready to charge at the group again, but the Illusionist would grab a hold of their arm, stopping them there.

"That's enough. We can't wind this right now, we need to regroup and rethink our strategy!"

"And let them regroup?! This is our chance, we had the upper hand! We can st-" He felt the weight of his other companion's hand on his shoulder, allowing him to briefly reconsider and rethink the situation they were in. It was truly disadvantageous, though purely because of Cherry's surprise appearance, which had thrown a wrench into their plans to take care of Team Star, or at least, half of it, right then and there.

"Damn you all…" He simply muttered as he grasped his companions. Cherry's eyes and ears perked up again as he seemed to prepare for something… and a visible tear in space appeared in front of them, something that the others could see.

"Oooooh… shiny~" She cooed in a strange manner, trying to grab the light pouring out, slipping through her paws like silk, while the trio of enemies slipped into it. Realizing they were just running away, Eric lunged forward and hurled his staff, but the weapon was too late, as it exploded as soon as they teleported, leaving just a blast of white light that blinded them briefly, and the once cleared they were gone, without so much as a trace. They looked around frantically, whilst Cherry groaned and seemed upset, walking up to Eric and looking up at him, poking his chest. "You ruined it! The light's gone!"

"Wh- What are you talking about?" He looked down, she was smaller than he was, even if she stood on two legs.

"The light! It looked cool, it covered everything and there were a lot of colors, like a rainbow but multiplied by fifty! But now it's not there anymore, and they aren't either! They're far, far away now." The others slowly walked over and grouped up.

"So… they ran away?" She hissed, stumbling in her step. "Aaah fuck… That's great, I guess. Who the hell are you though?"

"I already told ya… I'm Cherry, Cherry the Espurr, and I'm here to chew bubblegum!" She smiled.

"That still doesn't tell us m- Ow!" Eric hissed and looked at Elly. "Stop, don't touch it!"

"Don't touch it?! Eric, one of your feelers looks like it's about to fall off!" Truth be told, it did hurt like hell, but the cut wasn't that deep… regardless, she was willing to make a huge deal about it, and making him groan.

"Yeah? Well, stop touching it then!" Whilst the two argued and ignored Cherry, Zed walked over to his mate to check on her.

"Yeah yeah, I'm alright… just a bit beat up is all. You?"

"Almost had my neck pierced, but asides from probably a few bruises, nothing much." He nuzzled her, and… she took a few seconds, but she returned the affection. "Told ya we'd pull through."

"Yeah yeah yeah… well, if we did, it was because of this crazy ball of fur there. Still don't…" She looked at Cherry, only to find her… crying? She looked teary eyed, and before she could ask what was wrong she wailed.

"Why's everyone ignoring me?! I thought I was cool but now you're just not paying any attention to me… you're just a bunch of meanies! All of you!" They all looked at each other as she complained and sobbed, calling them names and saying they were a bunch of bad friends. All they could do was just try to appease her, Elly in particular approaching her and smiling.

"Hey hey, don't worry. You did a great job, ummm… Cherry. We were just really scared by these people and we're still a bit… shaken up. But you did a great job helping us, and you might've even saved our lives!"

"Might've? She definitely did." Lucy said. "Pretty sure we would've gotten destroyed if ya hadn't popped out of that coffin over there. What the heck were you doing there anyways?"

"Sleeping! I was tired, and I was told to go to sleep in this.. and now I'm here! Don't you guys remember?" They all looked at her, utterly puzzled, and Eric decided to be the first to break it to her.

"Umm… Cherry, I'm sorry but… We don't know you, as far as I know, not a single one of us has ever seen you before."

"Whaaaaaaaaat? Watcha talkin' about?! We're totally pals! The team you guys had were you, then there was Elly, then… ummm…" She was looking at Zed. "Uuuuuuuuh… What was your name again?" The Zorua was slightly distraught she didn't remember him… even though they didn't know if she even 'remembered' something like that in the first place.

"How did we meet? If you tell us that, we might remember you." Elly's suggestion was met with a nod, a smile, and then… silence. She hummed, and hummed, and tapped her finger against her head… and didn't do anything but that for about fifteen minutes, during the which the other four sat down, rested and Eric even almost fell asleep, utterly exhausted and his body numb from the pain and adrenaline. They really needed to get to the surface and see a doctor.

"Nope, don't remember!"

"Really?! You've made us wait for fifteen minutes and then it turns out you were just lying!"

"I'm not lying! I know you guys, I swear, I just… can't remember who you guys are or where we met! I can't remember anything about me either, I just… know that I know you guys is all." They all just looked at her silently, unsure of how to take her words or what to answer, her peppy attitude being replaced by a sad outlook as her constant movement came to an end.

"Well… Ummm… maybe it'll come back to you eventually?" Elly suggested, her words making her pep up again, and nod enthusiastically. "First order of business is… well…" She looked up into the dark chasm they were stuck in. "Getting out of here."

They'd surface thirty minutes later, having spent quite a long time walking through the ruins… and already, Cherry had effectively gotten under everyone's skins, at the very least slightly. She simply wouldn't stay put, and when she did she was staring off into the distance in awe, clapping with glee before she was called over, snapping out of her trance and kept prancing about around them. "Don't you guys see all of the colors and the shapes! They're all so pretty!"

"The only colors and shapes we see are the less than appealing gray buildings around us, Cherry… Seriously, what is wrong with this kid?" Lucy asked, quite annoyed by this point, her best friend looking at her and shrugging in confusion. Their mates reached the elevator first, with the girls climbing on after and the Espurr following close. They pulled the lever, and the elevator began ascending as the counterweight was slowly lowered. As they ascended, they'd feel their minds clearing up, their fears disipating, and their worries lessening, the realization that they'd come close to death, but once again survived giving them a slight high as they took in breaths of what tasted like fresh air to them, even if it was full of little sand particles.

Opposite to them however, Cherry would feel more and more tired the higher they ascended, her hyper personality fading away as she became grumpier and sleepier. "What's wrong... I feel… sleepy again…" She almost stumbled onto the sand as she got off the elevator, Eric catching her at the last second.

"Hey, hey Cherry!" He put a paw on her head, but she didn't have a fever. In fact, her pulse was alright, his aura vision, as flawed as it may be due to his wounds, showed she didn't have that much aura in her, meaning she must've exhausted herself doing… whatever it was she'd done down in that chasm.

"Guess she has to recover from earlier… Alright, let's split up a bit, find Slew and Rubert and tell them what happened… I'm going to go call Serge and the others." Elly explained as Eric and the others were taken away to be treated by the on-site doctor. As soon as she felt she was at a reasonable distance, she attempted to contact Serge. And the first thing he told her as soon as she could establish contact sent shivers down her spine.

" _Elly, we have a problem: there's a huge Rebscura in the Giant's Forest_."


	12. Chapter 9 - The Parasite

_**Chapter 9**_

 _ **The Parasite**_

 **The twisted form of birth and life**

"And that's how we found Cherry and what happened to us in the ruins." Elly finished her retelling as they had all sat down around their sofas and cushions, having gotten home a few hours ago, showered, healed up, and were sitting around resting and discussing what their next move should be. "After that, Slew promised to take care of her while we scrambled to get back here as quickly as possible to meet with you guys. He's told me that she's awake and well, but that he'll be going to Cunabula with her, where she'll be the safest she can be and where they can figure out what's wrong with her."

"She sounds like an interesting individual…" Jake's interest was peaked by the Espurr, rather annoyed he hadn't gotten to meet her in person. "Alas, we have more pressing matters, such as the Rebscura we have already described. The creature, or at the very least, one of them, was a long flexible green limb with a scythe like bone at the end, attached to the main body with a contractible end that as we found out, was weaker than the rest of his limb. Ergo, the weak spot."

"Right… but how many of those things are there to begin with?" Eric asked, bandages wrapped around his feelers, blocking his aura sight but otherwise making sure he'd heal up his wounds. "By the sound of it, you only ran into one, so how come you're so sure there's more?"

"All of the damage we found: Ayame pointed out that there were too many holes and ditches made by the tentacles, and as much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree. Plus, it was big, but it was definitely not enough to utterly destroy a village overnight and without letting a single survivor. Plus, we got a disturbing surprise after we came back to the tentacle: that thing had eggs inside of it." Serge answered, bandaged up and sitting on his favorite armchair, Nox sitting on his lap and listening to the conversation.

"Eggs? Rebscura can lay eggs?" Elly asked, as the Riolu stood up and walked upstairs.

"No idea."

"Honestly, they looked more like crumpled up vines. I decided to burn one of them, and it kinda just… unfolded into this really long and thin freaky thing." He moved his paws around in a freaky away, like jelly. "Honestly, kinda looked like one of those zombies things we fought months ago, before we even went to the other world."

"I was just about to say, the similarities were rather uncanny… could those things be the Rebscura's spawn?"

"I don't think so." Eric came down, armed with a rather familiar book: the Book of Lies, with many papers shoved into it. As always, the book was permanently blank, albeit they noticed that the emblem had changed once again. "By the way, I haven't pulled this thing out for a month or two, and I've noticed its changed twice." Now it was different: a snowflake, and at the sight Jake instinctively covered his right hand, a detail that didn't escape Elly, who looked at him confused. "Anyways, these notes…" He showed them the papers. "Are copies of the documents we recovered from the lab, and combined with what Heric told us about the Rebscura. And here, we noted down that they Rebscura are beings that defy the three basic functions: they don't need to eat, they do not interact between themselves and with the world outside of destroying everything they come into contact with that isn't them, and they cannot reproduce."

"Well, we're just telling you what we found inside of that thing, eggs but not eggs." Nox reiterated, much to their confusion.

"Right…" Eric crossed his arms. "Either way, we need to deal with this as soon as possible. A Rebscura is a bad thing, but a massive one like that is bad news altogether. People in town already knew of the thing when we came here, and it wouldn't surprise me if the news have reached Cunabula by now."

"If so, then why hasn't Ferrus contacted us yet?" Lucy's question went unanswered for a bit, as nobody had the concrete answer, and Elly hadn't been able to successfully contact him yet.

"Chances are, if the news have reached them, they're trying to come up with a plan to deal with this thing, and if Ferrus knows what he's doing, he'll contact us himself." Elly sentenced, once again silence hovering over them. Eric knew what the problem was, and slammed those notes shut and walked in the middle of the room, sitting on the remaining spot in the couch, in between Zed and Elly.

"Alright, while we wait, I want to speak with you all. What happened this morning is, in a lot of ways… unacceptable." He needed to find a word that both transmitted his disappointment but wasn't too rough. "I failed you lot as a leader in a variety of ways, and you guys didn't help me in the slightest." He didn't get any snarky comments or responses, and continued. "For starters, I should've taken your comments into consideration, and tried to come up with alternatives, or at the very least, tried to convince you guys to go along with this plan in some other way other than asserting my leadership forcefully and forcing you to comply. It's not a good example of leadership, and seeing the backlash I've been getting all day over this decision, and I see now that it wasn't fair."

"But still, I strongly believe that your reactions and outright denials to cooperate didn't help the situation in the slightest. I understand that there is a lot of underlying pressure to this job, and that we haven't had anything as dangerous in a long time. I won't play it off, and say that we were in no true danger today, because I would be denying the fact that we were all close to dying today, which we were. What I am saying, is that we need to accept this, we need to make sure to understand that this is the reality of our profession: we risk our lives, and face off against dangerous opponents, and there is an underlying risk in these confrontations that we choose to ignore, but must always remember is there."

His words reached them all, the more conflicting team members groaning or growling in response, but still acknowledging his ideas. "Right, we get that Eric, we've all understood that. And in a few hours, we're probably going to be risking our lives again, if we're taking down that Rebscura." Serge spoke up, looking at Lucy and Nox, trying to voice their worries. "But that wasn't the real issue earlier today."

"The problem." Elly cut in, looking at Serge. "As far as I can understand, was that we didn't understand why this mission was so critical and of such importance that warranted us splitting up and heading to a completely different place for someone that not many of you know. And that, I think I have to apologize for too, because I didn't really emphasize how important Slew was. We owed him a huge favour after helping us find our bearings and answer some massive questions we had about my past, the Aura Knights, the Dark Eons… everything."

"Yeah, and on top of that, he was there when we defended Treasure Town from Nymphe's attack." Zed suddenly spoke up, blushing and stuttering when everyone looked at him. "H-honestly, I never doubted that we had to help him, and I was willing to, b-but…"

"The timing couldn't have been worse." Nox cut in. "That's basically my main gripe with this whole thing: Lucy and I got absolutely trashed when we were up against that Rebscura."

"I entered cardiac arrest on the operating table while Zed and Vincent worked to save my life from the damage I sustained during the fight. I suffered just as much damage, if not more than the both of you did in that fight." Lucy huffed and was about to lash out, but Elly stopped her and looked at Jake, giving him a stern look.

"I'm not going to stand for letting you act so high and mighty or trying to set an example, Jake. You've been asking me for medication to avoid sleeping as much as possible ever since we came back." The ice type's eyes widened, and he looked at the others, expecting him to be judged… instead they all just looked at Elly. "We all knew it. It was hard not to notice how tired you looked, or the light coming from your room every night."

"Look, dude…" Lucy had to make an active effort, incentivized by her mate hitting her side, to refrain from using swears to refer to the Sneasel. "Dying is a scary fucking thing. You got your chest crushed, I had my neck pierced and couldn't breathe. Probably the only reason I haven't had an actual nervous breakdown was because I had this dumb mummy by my side." She nuzzled her mate, rubbing his head fur and making him yelp and blush, which in turn made the others chuckle or smile. "And even then, I had some violent discussions with him, while you've just stayed quiet all this time."

"Being scared is natural, it doesn't mean you're weak if you have some sequels after a traumatizing experience, and I am pretty sure that facing a monster like that and barely coming out alive is bound to leave some kind of mark on you." Elly reassured him, trying to show that they all understood what he was probably going through, since all of them had already.

"I've already been slashed across the chest like… three times now. It's a miracle I'm being able to fly the way I am still."

"I'd say Zed instead of miracle." Eric quickly responded to Serge's quirp, the Pidgeot rolling his eyes, and the Zorua once again blushing.

"Anyways, point is, you don't seem me sulking because of it. We gotta keep moving on. You saw me when I couldn't fly, I felt like absolute trash, but you've gotta get over it or drags you down and you can't do anything right afterwards. And that's when you really mess up and make the biggest mistakes."

"It may sound cold, or otherwise strange… but we need to get accustomed to it. To the danger, to the idea that today could be our last. From now on, we are dealing with far more dangerous individuals than ever before. Elly and I were discussing it earlier, how dismaying it was that even after all our work to defeat Blake, it seems that we are once again needed… but it seems there is more to this all than meets the eye. We are needed again, and given what happened today to the two groups, we are the only ones who can stop these people and prevent them from hurting anymore pokémon." They were all tense and worried, that much was obvious. "Now, that doesn't mean that we should expect it, which is the mistake that we made this morning. When we left and split up, something that I swear, from now on, that we will not do should a situation such as this show up again." He was looking right at Nox and Lucy. "We all expected that someone was going to die. We shouldn't expect it, but we need to be mentally prepared for it, because it may very well be a reality."

"Some of us already had that idea in our heads, but with three years without much going on… we have, colloquially speaking, gone soft."

"Then I guess that means we've gotta get hard!" Nox suddenly burst out, somewhat excited… and without thinking about what he was saying, which ended up making everyone stare at him silently. Serge would snicker and burst into chuckles, and the others would soon follow. Just like that, the tense atmosphere would slowly fizzle away as they all joined in into laughing together.

"God damn it, we're having a moment and you just go ahead and say that… did you do that intentionally?"

"No! I just said it without thinking! C'mon, stop laughing!" Nox was actually getting flustered, as even Jake was laughing at his words. The joke wasn't exactly funny, but it had come out so suddenly, that it'd caught everyone off guard, and the laughter had quickly spread and infected everyone, eventually getting to Nox, as he realized how bad that sound. "I mean… to be perfectly honest, you kind of set it up yourself, Jake."

"I did not do it intentionally, I assure you… Regardless, we must steel ourselves and our courage. We have done this time and time before, we can surely do it once again."

"Damn right we can!" Morale was back up again, perhaps in part to the fact that they'd already been faced with danger and they'd overcome it. Of course, it wasn't entirely due to their own strength, but also thanks to external help, but the feeling of accomplishment was there, and they'd use that to fuel themselves to continue onward.

* * *

Zed was still sore from the previous confrontation, so Elly offered to make dinner, which to their surprise she'd soon reveal was one massive pizza, tangibly improving everyone's moods further. However, while they were enjoying their feast, they'd hear a knock on the door. Being the closest to the door, Lucy reluctantly got up from her chair and blitzed over to it, opening it and checking who was behind. "Yeah, who is it this l- Ferrus!" She called out, returning to the living room and the Lucario walking in after her. He looked just as tired and overworked as he had in Cunabula, perhaps even more so now, his fur was an absolute mess, but it did show signs that he'd attempted to comb it straight not too soon ago.

"Good evening." He greeted them, first and foremost, then stared at the pizza. "I see I am interrupting dinner… though I am shocked to see you all so relaxed at a time like this." He then looked at their leaders. "In thirty minutes there'll be an assembly in the guild. We'll be discussing the next course of action with the situation in Evergreen with the guild members then and, much to my regret, with the Judges." The moment he said this he got looks of confusion or immediate anger from them, the latter more specifically from Eric and Elly.

"What do you mean the Judges?! You're considering working with them?"

"It's either we officially cooperate or they'll tag along either way. We don't have the king of power of leeway with general opinion to push them out of the way, and given what I've been told happened in the forest, we may just need all the help we can get." He noticed the papers concerning the Rebscura and the Book of Lies sitting on the table, shuddering as he looked at them. He'd read and supervised those same papers years ago, and he couldn't believe they were up against this again. "Bring those papers too. The others should be informed of the dangers concerning Rebscura."

"Right, whatever, we'll do that. Can you please explain to us how working with the Judges of Arceus is a good idea? At all? Can't we just get back up from other Exploration Teams instead of… them?" Eric didn't give up just yet, but the Lucario shook his head, to his dismay.

"They're off on important top secret missions. The only reason your group hasn't been assigned one of these objectives to begin with is that you've been awfully busy running up and down the globe. Their mission objectives are just as important as this one however, and I can't simply call them all back, so we'll take what we can get."

The entire team accepted the facts in silence… all except Serge, who was sitting at the opposite end of the table with his wings crossed. "Right, and what would these extremely important missions be? Surely, you can share some details with us, your most trusted exploration team."

"Top Secret." Was his rather blunt answer, triggering yet another angry reaction from Team Star's leaders.

"Top secret? You're keeping secrets from us now?!"

"It's for your own good. These matters are awfully secretive and I can't let any information leak. Pokémon's lives are at stake here."

"Oh yeah? It sounds like **their** lives are more valuable than those of the pokémon from Evergreen, if you ask me." Serge's scorn filled response got a reaction from the usually calm Lucario, who snapped to glare at him.

"I assure you that is not the case. Both are equally important, but perhaps I should remind you of the fact that we are short on personnel these days. And it was either asking the Judges for help, or hiring mercenaries that could, at any point, up and leave the mission and ditch the group just with what they got paid in advance." Ferrus' words, while true, struck a raw cord, and this'd probably come up later during the reunion, Eric thought. "Regardless, this is all inconsequential and doesn't have anything to do with the mission before us. While it is regrettable, we need their help. I came here in advance to warn you of this, and prepare yourselves appropriately for… whatever it is that will happen in the Guild."

They all had something to say and spite him with, but this point is was awfully apparent that his hands were just as tied as theirs were, and further blaming him wouldn't anything except increase the amount of stress he was already under. "I don't like it… but if it's for the greater good, we'll do it." Elly finally spoke up, the Lucario sighing and nodding.

"I'm sorry for putting you through this again Elly. If I could I would…"

"Please, just… don't apologize. I don't want to hear it, and it won't help anyone." Her cold answer told them all everything they needed to know, the only thing bringing her comfort right now was her mate's paw resting on her left shoulder, whilst the Lucario looked utterly devastated.

"...right. I suppose this was to be expected… I won't bother you anymore about this issue then. See you soon." With that, he turned tail, ignoring Zed's calls and offers of some pizza before he left, shutting the door behind himself. Silence loomed over the group for a couple of minutes, Serge breaking the silence with a swear as he laid back on his chair.

"Well, there goes that." He looked at the Eevee. "You gonna be alright, Elly?"

"I… need some time to myself, is all." She got up and hopped off the chair, walking upstairs and out of view. With her gone, the mood from earlier was completely gone, and Zed cleaned up with Jake's help.

"You can go upstairs you check on Elly, Eric. I'll let you off the hook just this time." Zed said, obviously poking fun at the fact that the Riolu never stuck around to clean up after eating.

"Thanks." He didn't try and argue with it, quickly bolting from his chair and rushing upstairs, just in time to catch Elly closing the door to their bedroom behind herself. He breathed in, swallowed and walked over, opening and closing behind himself too. She was just sitting on the bed, the room barely illuminated by the dimming candlelight on the small table besides the bed. "Elly?"

"Yeah, I'm here. I'm just… Meditating a bit, is all." He smiled when she said this, climbing up onto the bed and sitting besides her.

"I didn't think I'd ever see you doing that. Had to relax and take your mind off of what Ferrus said, eh?" She opened her eyes and looked at him, nodding. He wrapped an arm around her and hugged her closely. "I don't blame you."

"It's not because I'm scared or stressed out. I am, slightly, that was all a pretty… intense experience, but at the same time it's just… a bunch of conflicting emotions."

"What do you mean?" This time, Eric was puzzled.

"I mean, it's mostly referring to Ferrus. I'm still on really bad terms with Tharmius, and I have every intention to let him know the moment I see him. I don't care about what Ferrus tells me, nobody does all the things he does and gets away with it."

"You don't have to worry about that, I'll be letting him know too. No one puts my mate on trial unjustly and gets away with it." She smiled and nuzzled him as he said this. "So what's got you so bothered then? What are you so conflicted about?"

"Well… It's Ferrus. I don't know if I should be angry with him or feel sad for him. I mean, it's obvious that he wouldn't do this if he could, since he knows how much damage Tharmius has caused and is still causing, but I still think there should've been another alternative instead of involving the Judges in all of this."

"I agree, but… he probably has a better grasp of the situation. Maybe from our perspective it feels way simpler, but maybe it's the opposite of that. I trust that he knows what he's doing as is in control of everything… even if he looks like he came to Sinnoh through a typhoon. The only thing I'm worrying about is his health, he looks much older than he should."

"How old was he again?"

"He should be around his fifties now." Her eyes widened. "Yeah, stress related issues. Wigglytuff was always talking about them when we were in the guild, remember? He's also in his fifties and he looks even older than that."

"Wonder if that'll happen to us someday…"

"Well, if you lot keep making me grow gray hairs like this, I probably will." He hugged her tightly and she smiled.

"Ok ok, mister I-carry-the-world-on-my-shoulders, I'll try to avoid conflicting with your rather questionable decisions from time to time." Her teasing perhaps went a bit over the edge, and the Riolu huffed.

"You didn't have to bring that up again."

"Hey, at least we managed to solve the issue from this morning. Let's try and keep it that way, ok? I understand that you're stressed out and you think you can do everything on your own, Eric… but remember, you have me to lean on, and the others are here if you need some help to."

"Thanks…" He was fidgeting around still, and she caught him biting his claws every so often. He wasn't fine, but at this point they had much more important things to worry about. After resting and meditating for a few more minutes, they walked downstairs and met up with the others. They prepared, cleaned up and made themselves look at the very least presentable, and walked out the door and into a darkening, yet familiar town, changing before their eyes into something they would, in time, no longer recognize.

* * *

"The air tonight is pretty charged… Think we might be getting some strong rain tomorrow." Serge observed as they reached the guild, walking in and being silently greeted by Chimecho and Sunflora. Whilst they hung their winter clothes and articles on the perches near the entrance, Nox looked at Serge.

"How the hell'd you know that?"

"Dunno, felt it in my bones."

"Perhaps it is because of your uncanny relation with wind and other atmospheric changes that you're more sensitive to the changes in pressure that usually precede rain."

"Wait, that's an actual thing?" Lucy inquired as she overhead Jake's observation, slowing down to walk by them. "I thought that was all just an old man thing."

"Oi oi, are you calling me old?"

"Yes." She quickly rebutted, annoying Serge, whilst Jake shrugged.

"That is slightly true, actually. Because of the deterioration in a pokémon's body due to age, their bone structures are unable to adapt and withstand the grading changes in atmospheric pressure that rain clouds bring. Therefore, some pokémon are prone to feeling certain bone pains during these times, which in turn are signs that foreshadow an incoming storm." Lucy actually managed to stay awake and attentive through his explanation, and looked at Serge.

"So, how are your bones feeling Serge? One of them hurt or something?"

"Piss off." They went back and forth for a bit until they were promptly told to shut up, walking into a side room where they'd find everyone they'd ever known. Most of the influential figures in Treasure Town, like Kangaskhan, Electivire, Marowak, and the entirety of the permanent guild members were there, greeting the group with silent nods in most cases, and in others openly calling them by name and hugging. "We heard about what happened in Crimsand, are you alright?"

Elly looked at Sunflora, who'd asked this the moment she'd greeted her, and nodded. "Yeah… how'd you know about that? Did the news already get here?"

"Well, we just heard you guys ran into some tough customers up there, but as far as we know you totally **TRASHED** them!" Loudred, as always, was obnoxiously loud when he got terribly excited, promptly hushed by everyone in the room.

"Tone it down, Loudred." Eric was grabbed and the normal type, who still towered over the Riolu, rubbed his head.

"Tone it down! You hear this kid?! Already acting like he's a hotshot just because he split off from the guild! Maybe I ought to remind ya of your starting days!" Eric chuckled as he was briefly held down before he broke away.

"Alright alright, there's no need for that, tone it down." Once again, he poked fun at the Loudred, fist bumping him and then Bidoof. Only one missing in that scene was Corphish, and the original four man gang would be complete, but the poor water type had met his untimely demise in the Battle for Treasure Town, his name etched upon the large monolith that now sat at the top of the hill where the guild once was. Because of this, Zed couldn't help but back off and shrink into a corner, same with Lucy, who stared at Elly as she rendezvous with her companions from their early exploration days, consisting of the only two other females in the guild, Sunflora and Chimecho.

All their chatting would unfortunately get cut short however, as Ferrus walked through the door, standing right next to it. Now two minutes later, and after some flustered conversations outside, a tired looking Wigglytuff and a mildly infuriated Chatot stormed in, and soon after, Tharmius paced inside, hangs hidden by the sleeves of his cloak as he'd placed them together, respectfully bowing while looking at everyone else in the room, his eyes resting on Elly's as they exchanged a venomous glare, sparks flying off between the two. But where the stare off between them was aggressive, the one that Tharmius and Ferrus shared was one of pure unbridled hostility. "Ferrus."

"Tharmius." They exchanged formalities, Ferrus disposition shifting to stand upright, meeting the Kommo-O at eye level, who, in turn, held his stare, inches away from eachother.

"I see the years have had their effect on you."

"I could say the same to yourself. Never thought I'd see you clad in a fancy cloak. You always struck me as a warrior fellow."

"Appearances can be deceiving, the same applies to you. You look old, but the spirit of a warrior beats within you."

"I wonder why." It seemed that not even Ferrus' calm and collected demeanor stood a chance against the hatred and reservations they all held towards Tharmius, albeit to Eric it felt like the story between them went much, much further back than the two opposing organizations they lead.

Their stare off was ended by a loud cough, courtesy of Wigglytuff, who while nowhere near as big as them, still inspired a certain air of respect and intimidation. To most of them, including the members of Team Star, it felt like they were amongst giants. "If we may then, bring an end to your feud, we may begin with this emergency reunion concerning the state of Evergreen."

"If I may…" Tharmius spoke up first, not having bothered to sit down, whilst Ferrus did so, choosing to go to the complete opposite side of the room, staring at his opponent still. "I shall begin with a short debriefing of the events that transpired this morning."

"You shall, but we will have members of Team Star corroborate and add to the timeline to paint a more complete picture of what we're dealing with." Chimecho was hurriedly writing down everything that was being said, and noting who was saying what, probably for future purposes to revise these documents, noting that Wigglytuff had just uttered that sentence.

"Uh… we will?" Serge asked, the swift elbow from Jake to his side confirming that and making him howl.

"Yes, yes we shall." Jake reiterated, looking at Wigglytuff and thanking him with a nod. The discussion and retelling would begin. It was mostly information they all already knew, but re-evaluating and going over everything helped in getting an idea of the amount of danger they were in. "...Following our entry into Evergreen, we inspected the surroundings. The ground presented strange notches and holes, which we later found out were the tunnels the Rebscura had dug out to move around. No survivors with the exception of a Zangoose, who would be used as bait to try and capture the rescue party."

"After the creature revealed itself, we dispatched it as swiftly as possible, as well as its spawn, which burst out from its insides once the main body stopped moving."

"Its spawn…" Eric muttered softly, remembering the description Nox had given him. "Are you certain that they were its spawn?" Eric cut in, seeking some answers.

"Describe the creatures in further detail, please." Wigglytuff supported the Riolu's motion, and the Kommo-O nodded.

"They were small at first, oval shaped, but soon untangled themselves, becoming long, writhing figures, moving on their limbs across the ground at a crawling pace. They seemed to have difficulties moving, thus we dispatched them with ease."

"They bore an uncanny resemblance to a group of small Rebscura we encountered years ago, not long after the end of the Time Freeze and death of Clades and Blake." The first was a name no one had uttered in years, and just hearing it again from Jake's mouth made chills go down everyone's spines. "We made a report, but no one thought much of it then… it seems however, that we were sorely mistaken."

"So this thing has been around for a few years… that raises the question of where it could've been hiding all this time." Nobody had a clear answer for the riddle that Tharmius had proposed.

"More importantly." Wigglytuff cut in again. "I believe we should worry about the circumstances surrounding its appearance, and why now of all times."

"Now that, we have some theories about…" Tharmius spoke, and looked at Team Star. Here it came, some outrageous theory that Elly was behind it all, the Eevee and her companions mentally preparing themselves. "A week ago, and as far as my men have been able to gather, Team Star came across a member of some kind of cult that had stationed themselves at the top of Howling Spire." They all looked at him, confused as to how he had, first and foremost, gotten that information, and where he wanted to take this. "Unfortunately, I know not what happened in this mountain, but after being physically present I could sense a certain air in the atmosphere. An air not unlike the one in the Forest of Giants. Moreover, there were reports of a massive earthquake a few hours prior, the foremost reason to our departure in the first place."

"So that's why they were there to begin with…" Eric muttered, looking at his companions, quickly exchanging a few words through their psychic link to decide whether to share that information or not.

"I believe we see where Tharmius sees the connection. Shortly after we dispatched the cultist, a Rebscura appeared."

"Would you, perchance, know why or where it came from?"

"Unfortunately, no, we were attacked shortly after it appeared, and thus were resorted to fight for our lives."

"Right… so what's the relationship between this Rebscura and the one we're going up against now?" Chatot inquired, his interest peaked.

"Well…" Eric felt that it was his turn to speak up, standing up and bring out the papers he'd taken from their home, and began reading aloud the details and information that Heric had confided them about the Rebscura. "If what he said is right, then this new Rebscura violates those principles as well. The Rebscura we fought learned our strategies and effectively countered them when we next used them. Had we not realized it and quickly thought up of new ways to attack, eventually overwhelming it and defeating it, this monster could have learnt how to adapt and counter any army or warrior in the world, and could've become incredibly deadly." This brought certain discomfort to the room, as most shifted around in their seats.

"Later, we decided to refer to it as The Hunter, for its uncanny ability to learn and respond to anything its prey did, as well as mimic the voices of its victims." They all began to mutter among themselves, the guild members and other pokémon assisting exchanging worried looks and observations.

"How can something like that exist?"

"It shouldn't, that's the point. They are made out of Antimatter, something that decays just by entering in contact with any type of regular matter." Jake explained. "Even the air we breathe is toxic and will end up making them fade out into nothingness."

"If that is the case…" Tharmius interjected. "Then why can we not simply outlast the Rebscura? Evacuate the surrounding areas, establish the martial law and increase security to attempt to minimize the damages."

"That would work with any regular Rebscura. The ones that Clades and Blake made eventually fell apart and disappeared, the reports stated so." Jake looked at Tharmius, then at Ferrus. "But this one… it only began decaying after we killed it, and even then the main appendage retreated into the ground."

"So what you're saying is that… this Rebscura, for some reason, is defying what little we know about their kind." The Lucario reworded the Sneasel's thoughts, and with a nod from the Ice type they all began muttering again. "This is… troubling, to say the least."

"Furthermore, the creature is still made out of antimatter, and once it fell apart it began to eat away at the ground where it landed, so it is safe to assume that the dangerous properties of said creature are still very much present. For this reason we sh-" Jake was cut off by the sound of arguing outside. A female's voice rang out form the main hall, and was responded aggressively by another's. Their voices were barely audible, and it sounded like mumbling the group inside the room. Jake attempted to retake the conversation, but before he could, the door swung open… and in came Ayame.

She was wearing her cloak, but the bulge of the shoulder plating on her right arm was easily visible, everyone in the room turning to look at her, her eyes glancing over them and stopping over Team Star, where Serge was just glaring daggers, the Frogadier returning the gesture. Behind her, Diglett was hyperventilating, clearly anxious. "L-lady! You can't go in here! Oh gosh, sorry I tried to stop her but she wouldn't…"

"Quiet. Thanks for showing me the way here, you can go now." She almost ordered, looking at the Guildmaster. "This is the reunion concerning the Rebscura in Evergreen, correct?"

"Whether it is or not does not concern you, lady!" Chatot definitely had his feathers ruffled by her rude interruption, and got up and began to shout at her, much to Serge's amusement. While he definitely didn't like Ayame, and Chatot was an alright dude from time to time, he knew that one way or another one of them was getting chewed out, and that made him happy.

"Oh I think it does concern me. I was there to fight against the bloody thing to begin with." She looked at Jake, Serge and Nox. "They can attest for it." The bird looked at the trio, with the former two outright lying and denying her involvement. But Nox…

"Well… yeah, she was there, and was a killer fighter too!" That was his way to try and compliment the Frogadier, the resounding facepalm from the Sneasel and the Pidgeot confusing everyone.

"I can say for myself that yes, she was there too… albeit as far as I remember, you are a mercenary, and this reunion only concerns members of the ETF and Judges of Arceus."

"Then you'll have to deal with my presence." She turned to the guildmaster. "I want in to help. I don't care about the money, after what I saw in that forest, I can't sit with my arms crossed and let that thing run amok so that another town may be attacked."

Wigglytuff crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and thought about it long and hard, then glanced at Ferrus for further opinion on this matter. "Well… as it stands, we could use all the help we can get."

"Resorting to mercenaries once more?" Tharmius taunted, getting a deadly glare from everyone in the room.

"I'll remind you that most of these "mercenaries" you scorn were once members of the ETF, and have continued to act as so even after being dismissed. They are not all heartless, fortune seeking fools." She quickly returned, Tharmius simply crossing his arms, still smiling, knowing that even though what she said was correct, a vast majority of mercenaries ranged from hired pawns to do some dirty jobs to money grubbing hitmen. "Either way, I speak only for myself: I wish to participate in this mission."

"Your assistance in the initial investigation was noted by some members of Team Star… if you wish to participate, it is best if you collaborate with them. Will that be alright?" Ferrus looked at Eric, who in turn looked at Serge. As far as he was aware, he was the only one who could oppose to Ayame joining them for this mission, and to his surprise, he simply shrugged and sighed.

"I'm not that petty to deny her help. She's talented, and we can use all the help we can get… Just hope that she thinks the same." He made special note to say the last part loudly enough for everyone in the room to hear it, the Frogadier scoffing as she walked past him and sat next to Elly.

"Your praises don't change the facts. After this is done, our truce will be over, and you'll become another one of my targets, Kaze."

"Again with the stupid names…"

"That'll be enough." Ferrus ended the growing debate and returned the topic of the conversation back to the matter of the Rebscura, determining the immediate course of action whilst Elly brought Ayame back to speed quite quickly.

"You are the co-leader of Team Star, right? The famous Elizabeth."

"I… Yeah? Nobody uses my full name, but yes, that'd be me. And this is my mate, E-"

"He's the second in command, right?" Ayame suddenly asked, leaving Elly dazed.

"I… no, he's the co-leader. We both collaborate and run the team together."

"...I see. I would've expected you would have a bigger asy, given what I have heard about you. Apologies." She then turned to face forward and pay attention to what was being said, whilst Elly just looked at Eric, who'd overheard what the water type said and shrugged it off as just a misunderstanding.

"...as I was saying, the fact that the creature is made of Antimatter is troubling: most things, if not everything that is not antimatter itself, will be eaten away slowly, and that includes living creatures. The exceptions to this rule are, for some reason, Eric, Elly, Serge and myself." That last inclusion was a surprise to the group, except for Elly, who had already caught on to his strange mannerisms. "Because of this, our team should be tasked with taking care and eliminating the threat itself."

"At the same time, you will most likely need some support to find the creature and sweep the forest efficiently to find survivors, if there are any. This is where the ETF and the Judges will come into play, to find the survivors and get them to safety, as well as destroy any of these lesser Rebscura that we come across."

"Very well. All of those present, along with those pokémon chosen to participate in this joint operation must be present at the entrance to the Giant's Forest tomorrow at noon. Any delays will not be tolerated, and expect heavy sanctions should these delays not be justified. This applies to the Judges, too." He looked at Tharmius, who nodded.

"I shall be the first one to hand down those sanctions onto my men myself, should the need arise." He stood up. "Make no mistake, for even with the damage that has been done to the image of my organization, our number one priority, has, is and will always be to guarantee the safety of the general populace." Of course, he couldn't help but look in Elly's direction, who had to fight back the desire to shout and bark back at him, call him out for being the twisted liar he was. But she couldn't, not without jeopardizing the situation further, and just shifted around uncomfortably, whilst Eric gave Tharmius a hate filled look, making it clear to everyone in the room just where they both stood in regards to the other.

* * *

Shortly after this, the reunion came to an end, and they all went their separate ways, Ayame sticking together with Team Star in silence, looking at Elly and Eric the whole way. "So… you're the mercenary that confronted Serge back in Cunabula then?" The Riolu asked as they came out, turning to face her while crossing his arms.

"Yes, I am. Though I don't know why you keep calling him Serge. His name is…"

"Honestly, I have no reason to believe you, specially after you came out of the blue and attacked one of my best companions and friend. I have more reasons to trust him than to trust you, Ayame."

"And why would that be? You know literally next to nothing about him."

"I know that he's got my back when it matters, and in this line of work, that's an invaluable quality to have. The only reason we're allowing you to join us is because you say you want to collaborate with us to help those civilians, and we've been told you're extremely skilled at fighting. Otherwise, I wouldn't have considered you at all."

"I guess I should feel honored then, oh mighty Eric? I see now that you're the one that calls the shots here, and not Elizabeth. A shame, considering she seems to be a lot more reasonable than you pigs are." The sudden insult caught them off guard, but Elly quickly took a step forward.

"Alright, I'm not going to stand by and let you talk about my mate like this, Ayame. You have no right to do so, and you barely know him to begin with. So **back off** , or I'll show you why I'm the co-leader of this team." Elly stood up for her mate, staring up at Ayame, who returned the look at simply laughed, shrugging it off.

"Very well, very well… I'll lay off then, if you insist. I will see you lot tomorrow then." She walked off, waving her hand back as she looked away from the group, heading back into town and probably towards the Inn. They also walked back home in silence, Serge glancing back every so often, holding his side and groaning. Lucy shot him a look and decided to tease him again.

"Jake was right! Old people do get the cramps when it's about to rain!"

"Oh shut up." Was Serge's only response, the others either bursting into chuckles or smiling. "Still, what a massive bitch. What's her deal with us?"

"You mean what's her deal with you. If she didn't lay it down that she's out for your head I would've thought she was your ex… Actually is s-"

"Hell to the fuck to the no!"

"Sorry, just had to ask. You have some very low standards if we're honest." Lucy jumped away as Serge swiped at her with his wing, sticking her tongue out whilst the Pidgeot groaned.

"For once, I believe I agree with Lucy, you do have some rather low standards and poor taste in women, or rather, I would say they have poor tastes when they choose you. You have already garnered quite a word in town that you are the town's bicycle."

"Oooooh, you did not just say that, mister "I got my dick wet once and I feel entitled to talk about romance", ok? Lay off my case, I've gotten more girls in bed than you have read books in your life. Check it."

"No wonder he keeps calling you pig, that's literally the only thing you talk about!" Elly reprimanded the Pidgeot, who was attempting to flip the Sneasel off, with null success at that.

"Yeah, don't get your feathers ruffled when people are speaking the truth!" Lucy kept on teasing him and making everyone chuckle, much to Serge's dismay, who just groaned repeatedly whenever he was teased or otherwise 'burned', as Lucy kept saying.

All was well, until suddenly Nox smashed head first into the last streetlamp before their house, at which point they all turned to look at the almost must Houndour, who muttered and swore under his breath. "Geez, you'll make your ugly mug even worse at this rate."

"Zip it Lucy, or I'll roast your ass." She just rolled her eyes and left him alone, Serge checking on the Houndour while the others shrugged it off. "I'm fine, just didn't see it. It's friggin' pitch black, and I'm tired as shit." He shook his face and rubbed his nuzzle, which was still sore, and walked into the house, heading straight for his room upstairs whilst wishing everyone a good night.

"What's wrong?" Zed asked when he disappeared upstairs, the Pidgeot shrugging in answer and sighing, sitting down on his favorite armchair.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure he'll be over it tomorrow. Let's just get some sleep and rest, because I get the feeling tomorrow's going to be a busy day."

"You're not going upstairs?" Elly asked as she walked by, blowing out some candles whilst Eric, Zed, Lucy and Jake headed to the bathroom to wash up, and upstairs.

"Nope, can't be bothered tonight…" He let out a fake yawn to make it look like he was about to fall asleep, crossing his wings behind his head. "Wouldn't be the first time I've fallen asleep here." Elly however, wasn't so easily convinced, even as Eric came over to kiss her left cheek, returning the affection herself.

"Goodnight sweetheart, I'll be coming up soon…" When he was gone, she looked at Serge gravely. "Serge, you are sure that everything's alright, right? Ayame isn't worrying you, is she?"

"Pffft…" He shrugged. "Worry me? Why? She's just mislead is all, no worries."

"Are you sure?" She asked again, the pidgeot taking just a split second to answer her question.

"Yeees, come on. Up you go, chop chop. Can't keep Eric cold for long can we?" He turned forward to look at the fireplace, where the embers were slowly dying. "Oh, and make yourself a favor and take the lead tonight. I think you're both quite stressed out could use some unwinding."

Elly rolled her eyes and smiled. "Whatever. Even if we wanted to, we're both too tired for that tonight… Anyways, I'll trust your word. Good night Serge."

"Night, boss." He waved at her from the armchair.

"Don't…" She sighed, shaking her head and walking upstairs. Serge remained still, looking at the embers as he heard her steps across the hall, muttering something as she passed by Lucy and Zed's room, probably wishing them good night too, and then went to her own room, closing the door. The sound of someone climbing up onto a bed was heard above his head, and after that, silence. He just stared at those burning, red hot embers, fizzling out as smoke spiraled out through the chimney.

He had a lot on his head: Ayame, Nox, the Team, what was going down tomorrow… Things were certainly better than they'd been the previous night, but they were still being held up like a house of cards, and it was only a matter of time before someone bumped the table and knocked everything over. And he was scared that that someone would be him, pushed on by Ayame. "Now, of all times and places… Masaru Kaze… been ages since I heard that name." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "Wherever he is now, he certainly isn't here… made sure of that myself."

He shifted around, groaning and sighing as he tried to find a comfortable position: legs spread, wings on the armrests, head slumped forward or back, and many other positions. No matter what he did, he wasn't comfortable, as all he could think of was Nox, and how distant he'd been ever since they came back from the forest. He just hoped that it wasn't something serious that could affect the following day. He didn't want to be the one to carry out any of their bodies out of that forest, least of all Nox's. Just that thought gave him a mental image that made him shudder and open his eyes, and decided that he would need something strong to go to sleep that night.

* * *

"We shall go over the plan one last time." Ferrus was pacing back and forth in front of the forest's entrance. The outlines of the towering trees loomed over them, hiding the thundering cloudy skies above them, all of the present pokémon clad in cloaks or some sort of clothing to protect them from the incoming rain. When it'd start, they didn't know, but it was going to be a huge downpour, that much was certain. "Team Star shall spearhead the group as we head first **straight to Evergreen**. We will establish a small base of operations there and then proceed to the deepest part of the forest! Stick close together, and should you see any suspicious activity, report it to your superiors immediately! Do not split off! Do not walk by yourself! And do **not** engage any Rebscura without the help of your team under any circumstances!"

After he was done with that speech, Tharmius walked up, much to the dismay of the members of the ETF. "This is a joint operation between the Exploration Team Federation and the Judges of Arceus. Under **no** circumstances will infighting between the two factions be allowed! Should a fight break out there will be heavy sanctions imposed on both parties! Our foremost objective here is not to show which organization is superior, or who is in the right or wrong: it is to ensure the safety of civilians! Are we clear?!" The two large groups roared in agreement, Team Star themselves watching from where Ferrus and Tharmius stood.

"Then let us commence!" They roared once more, and the groups set off: Team Star spearheaded the movement, along with Ayame, who stuck close to them and Tharmius and Ferrus, who made sure to stay on opposite ends of the group as the small army of highly trained fighters moved into the depths of the forest. The humidity in the air was far greater than it'd been the day prior, and was a stark contrast with the arid climate of Crimsand that half of the team had endured. It was so thick, that the water was already condensating, a chilling breeze blowing by and having small droplets of water fall down from the leaves, muddying the ground further, making most of them shudder.

"Well, we're going to have a field day getting this mud out later…" Elly muttered, covered from neck to tail by a long cloak, with a hood she could pull up in case it began to rain. Zed, Lucy and Nox were all wearing the same cloaks, whilst the others had more traditional cloaks and capes, Ayame having pulled down her own hood and staring right at the path ahead.

"I believe there are more pressing matters than cleaning out your fur at the end of the day. Stay focused."

"I wasn't exactly focusing on that, just making an observation." Elly quickly rebutted, annoyed with Ayame.

"Hmph. Whatever you say." Elly was positively fuming with the Frogadier, already regretting her inclusion on the expedition, while the others just walked in silence, trying to keep their minds off of the fact their greatest enemy was walking among them too.

Eric was already failing to do this, shooting glares at Tharmius every so often, already having caught him looking at Elly or him a few times. "Eyes up front, Tharmius." He almost spit out, the Kommo-O looking at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Could say the same to you, Eric. there's no need for you to worry, I shall watch your back."

"Don't take it personally… or do, but I wouldn't trust you to watch any of our backs, lest you stab us from behind."

"You're being awfully aggressive, Eric. Have you forgotten what we stated earlier?"

"Have you forgotten what you put my mate through?" The tension was so thick that one could almost cut it with a knife.

"I already asked for forgiveness over those actions. We were too lenient and permissive with the measures Martin and his men were taking, and failed to take appropriate action in time. Your mate was unfortunately one of his many victims." Tharmius' excuses and apologies just didn't ring true to the Riolu, who was still rather hostile towards him. The Kommo-O turned to Elly. "Surely, you understand th-"

"Don't ever speak to me again." She drily stated. If Eric was about to lose his temper, Elly was teetering on the edge of pouncing the dragon type. "I remember what you told me when you lost that trial." At this remark, he looked at her quizzically

"Pardon?"

"While we were leaving, you walked by me… and taunted me." She didn't dare say anything else, since Ayame was present and she didn't any more people that necessary to know her lineage.

"Hmm… I assure you, back then I had far more pressing matters than to taunt you. Are you certain you didn't imagine or dream it, perchance?"

"I didn't imagine anything like that. You said you, you taunted me, saying that someone had told you who my…" She stopped herself before she went further. "You're trying to trick me and get me to spill it out. Bastard…" The Kommo-O just looked at her in utter confusion at first, then rage.

"Very well, that is it. I will not tolerate you calling me a liar any further. Any further transgressions and I shall make sure you and your team are sanctioned for interfering and trying to breed hostilities between our two groups!"

"Me!? You're the one! You locked me up and put me on trial, like you've done dozens of others before! You and group are a menace, we c-"

"We are **not** a menace." He firmly stated, his grave voice echoing in the forest. "Where were you when Ponta Vicel was attacked? When those terrorists began sprouting up? You only showed up recently and you believe you're entitled to holding all of the glory and praise for all your past achievements. But your time is over! You failed to protect and save those in danger when you were most needed, and now you hold us as radicals and dangerous because we aim to eradicate the threat before it comes! You failed to do this the first time, and millions have died because of it!" And there lay, the problem at the heart of the animosity between the Judges and the ETF: the time freeze, and the amount of damage it had done, and the lack of response from the latter.

At this point, both of them had reached a stalemate, and they could go on and on, but with all their cards facing upward like that there wasn't a point beyond insulting each other personally, and the glance that Ferrus was giving Elly told her that they couldn't afford favoritisms at a time like that. Grimacing, she let go of the issue, and backed off from Tharmius, Serge taking his spot between her and the Kommo-O. "Why hello there." He greeted in a somewhat mocking way, the dragon type simply glancing at him and nodding to acknowledge his existence.

They opted to remain silent for the rest of the way, silently walking down the dirt and mud path as Jake used the pathing they'd gotten the previous day to find their way to the ruined town. As they walked, the groups kept muttering and whispering about strange noises echoing from around them: twigs snapping, small shakes of the earth, the sound of something dragging across the tree's bark, followed not too long after by a call to alarm, as they pointed to what looked like a recently made scratch. Whatever it was, it was around them, watching them move through the forest, waiting for its chance to jump and attack… but perhaps it was being weary of the large group, considering what had happened the day prior. Thankfully, the trail blazing team from yesterday had made sure to mark their advances through the ever growing plantlife, and soon enough they found the paved path that lead straight to the heart of Evergreen. Those that hadn't been there the previous day were utterly astonished at the sight. They knew things were in bad shape, but they clearly hadn't expected it to look this terrible.

The larger group entered town and began setting up camp after sweeping the area and making sure everything was clear and devoid of any signs of nearby Rebscura. The carcass from the tendril was long gone, though the large hole it had left on the ground was still very much present, along with the iron smell of blood, mixed in with the growing wetness as yet another thunder went off above their heads. "Alright, while we set up camp, you guys start heading into the forest and try and find it." Ferrus, who was overseeing the operations setting up camp while Tharmius was off inspecting the surroundings, showed them his crystal, not unlike Eric's. "Call us if you find anything that is immediately dangerous or survivors."

"Right…" Eric sighed and looked at his teammates and Ayame. "Well… let's get going then. Stay sharp, you lot." They all nodded and they walked off into the forest, coming across Tharmius as they walked.

"Good luck. We'll be ready in case something happens." They didn't answer back, but at the very least Eric acknowledged him as he nodded, whilst Elly simply looked away, trying to ignore him. They delved

deep into the forest, the plant life becoming even more erratic and dense than ever before, far more than what the forest groups had had to deal with the day prior. Eric and Ayame took the lead, the Riolu not afraid to bring forth his ice blade to cut down the bushes, Ayame doing the same as the wacked and cut a way through.

"What curious weapons… are they made out of aura?" She asked, attempting to stay ahead of the group's leader, much to his grimace.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I recently managed to learn how to shape them differently. The colors are included with the shapes." He added, focusing on their surroundings, same as Ayame, but even then he couldn't fight his curiosity. "And your weapons?"

"I can manipulate the water within my body to a certain extent. Being a water type, there are higher levels of it, and I can use it to create these weapons. If they get too far away however, the water's pressure expands outwards rapidly." He looked at her, confused.

"So they explode."

"In short term, yes." She responded. "What? Attempting to find information on myself in order to challenge me and defeat me in combat?" Her assumption made him look at her in confusion.

"Wait… what? No, I was just asking because I was curious, and if we're going to be working together the least we should know about each other is how our powers work."

"Hmmm…" She narrowed her gaze, and returned to looking ahead, the Riolu looking back to his companions, confused. Jake was outright ignoring the female, more focused on what was ahead of them, Elly refused to say anything, still annoyed, and Serge simply shrugged, in a way that explicitly said 'I told ya'. "I'm sorry Ayame, but is there anything I've done to annoy you?"

"Hm? Oh, well, not exactly, but I simply dislike spending much time with males in general… call it a personal preference if you wish, I don't care. I merely want to get this mission done, and getting to see your team work together from much closer is an interesting prospect, to say the least. Your team is very well known, albeit I didn't notice that there was such a minority of females here…"

"Well, there may be just two of us, but we ain't just some housemaids or something!" Lucy responded, grabbing Zed and pulling him close with her paw, stopping briefly. "That'd be more of Zed's thing!"

"Oh? So he is the one who does most of the chores in your household? Interesting!" She seemed… amused by this, almost as if she was mocking the Zorua, or perhaps that was his own bias. Either way, the dark type blushed, indignated and walked away from his mate and besides Serge, much to her annoyance.

"Yeah well… we all contribute something to try and alleviate the workload: sometimes we clean and move stuff around." Eric quickly responded, trying to defend their roles in the house, while Elly rolled her eyes, somewhat annoyed.

"Yeah well… I'm the one who usually does all of that anyways."

"Because you've got psychic powers." Eric replied, almost as if that justified everything.

"What does that have to do with it?" Ayame sagaciously asked, quickly grabbing on to that detail. "From the sound of it, you barely do anything to clean up the house unless she explicitly asks you to, merely on the presumption that because she has psychic powers it's much easier for her to do so!"

"Hmmm… Actually, she's right! I mean, it's so much easier, but the least you can do is help me lift something…" He opened his mouth to respond. "Without complaining!" He bit his lower lip. She had him there, though even then, she still had the advantage there, because lifting stuff up with psychic powers was a hundred times easier than doing so with his own arms.

"Oooh man, she's cracking down on you…" Serge muttered from behind him, and the Eevee overheard him.

"You're no better! Every time we have to clean you're always just sitting on your chair!"

"What? I'm tired, I fly around all the place all the time and carry your big furry ass everyhwere! Least you can do is let me take a nap every so often!"

"Dude, you're always sleeping, ALWAYS, or at least you pretend that you're sleeping, because whenever we start cleaning up on saturdays you're just snoring away." Eric had quickly turned on on his friend.

"Why are YOU grilling me?! Look at Jake, he's always reading!"

"My body is far too weak for this type of exercise. If anyone here is guilty of being inherently lazy, it is Nox. I am pretty sure he mostly stays in his room and says he's busy. Many times too, Elly has complained about the mess he makes in his room."

"Yeah… that AND the smell." She shuddered, the Frogadier glaring deadly daggers at Nox, who just looked at them, taken aback.

"Woah woah woah, what?! Hold on, I umm… Ok well, I may make a mess a few times, but I can't help the smell, that's just what happens! Besides, it's.. an… uh… it's an organized mess! You grab everything and put it away and then I can't find it, and it's annoying!"

"Every time I go to clean your room I just find it covered wall to wall in sheets and trash that you're too lazy to put away. And **no** , Nox, shoving it all under the bed isn't putting stuff away!" At this comment Serge couldn't help but let out a chuckle, and Elly quickly looked to him to let him know that his Attic "haven" was just a big of a mess. "Instead of trash though, it's just scrapped papers, just… everywhere! What do you even do in there?!"

"Well when I have someone over I take them up to the nest a-" He could've sworn he saw Ayame's sword turn to face him, and he quickly corrected himself. "I just show them around! The papers are just my notes, and they're not in random spots! I leave them in specific areas, scattered around my room so that if I come up with an idea I have paper wherever I go!" That was an absolute lie, he just thought that the sprawling mess on the floor was slightly thematic.

And so they all argued, all whilst Ayame and Lucy looked on, the latter eventually getting her due when Elly noticed she was smiling. "Don't you dare give me that smile! You're just as lazy as they are!"

"Hey! No I'm not!"

"Oh, she is?" Ayame inquired, and glared at Lucy too, who just rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Well maybe I don't do too much… still do more than these lazy assholes combined."

"Riiight, because emptying out the berry basket is definitely cleaning up." Zed suddenly chimed in, getting a glare for his mate, as the discussion continued until Eric rose his voice to quiet everyone down.

"Alright!" He huffed and looked at Ayame. "Is this what you wanted then? To get us all arguing about who does the chores in our house?"

"Not precisely, but this just confirms my suspicions that you're not really as equalitarian as you thought you were. Let's hope that from now on, at the very least you consider getting up and helping your mate, for crying out loud."

"Maybe when we have more time to think about all of this then! Sure, whatever!" He groaned, feeling as if he looked like a jerk. Elly noticed he was a bit annoyed, and the Eevee chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"Relax, you know she's right. Just a bit of help, and I'll appreciate it a lot." She looked at the Frogadier, her opinion about the water type having changed a bit… but when she turned she found a slight look of disdain and abhorrence directed at her mate, though it was brief, and simply shrugged and returned to standing guard. Elly was tempted to press her further on that, but sighed. "Anyways, we've already spent enough time dilly dallying, there's people in need of rescue, so let's keep going."

They hadn't stopped moving or looking around as they spoke, the Riolu having wacked and cut down bushes as he discussed everything they'd spoken about, perhaps venting a bit of his frustration as he swung that blade around, whilst Ayame calmly sliced the branches, leaves and vines at their point of origin, giving everyone except Serge appropriate space to come through. The prior mood that had been established while they were discussing died down really quickly as the forest began to weight down upon them. The air was even more charged than before, what little light that got through both the black clouds above and the thick vegetation around them being filtered and lost within a thin veil of what looked like mist, the dirt underneath them transitioning slowly into a mushy mixture of decaying plant matter, mud and pebbles, which stabbed into their feet every so often, keeping them on edge.

"Is it just me, or is it getting harder to breathe?" Serge pointed out, the air around them viced and condensed, almost as if they were biting down on a thick paste, Nox shuddering as he imagined the stuff they were stepping on to be what was in his mouth, gagging and coughing.

"Yeah, it is… The air extremely humid too, most likely because of the incoming rain." Jake theorized as they came out to a small clearing, Serge stretching his wings as they finally got out from the tight vegetal corridors they were making.

"Right…" He yawned. "Man, my body's not down for this weather, I'm getting all sorts of cramps…"

"I think it's because you're so used to taking a nap at this point of the day your body is asking for it."

"Yeah… technically working two days in a roll after all…" He looked around, the group a bit more spread out as they stretched and made the most of what little time they had to move around and warm up for what was ahead. As they did, Nox approached Ayame, stretching.

"So uh… You remember yesterday? When I, uh… helped ya out?"

"You mean I helped you out."

"Well you got through his skin because of my fire in the first place and then y- Oh, alright whatever, that's not the point. Point is, you're pretty good!"

"At fighting I suppose?" He looked at her, nodding, and the Frogadier rolled her eyes. "It is only natural, after spending half a lifetime training and fighting. Why are you asking this?" She sounded slightly annoyed as he pestered her, but the Houndour either didn't notice it or ignored.

"Well, I… Uh… I just wanted to say it… that you're good at fighting, like… really good. You kicked our asses yesterday, and it was a three on one…"

"To be fair, your teamwork was extremely lacking, though Masaru did explicitly tell you to back off and stay out of the fight for some reason. Besides, as far as memory serves, your fire was essential for him to come out of our confrontation unscathed."

"Oh, yeah… Sorry about that by the way, I didn't mean to…"

"You're apologizing now? I thought you wished to praise me for attacking your mentor like figure, which is beyond me at this point, and now you're apologizing because you attacked me in order to save him?" There was a long awkward silence between them. "This conversation is pointless."

"I… well, no it isn't because i just wanted to talk with you is all! And hey, don't get worked up because my fire beat out your swords, I'm a pretty tough guy too!" At that point she burst out into laughter. But it wasn't a giggle or anything that was poignantly sarcastic, like Lucy's cackles… she just laughed in his face.

"Tough? Really?" She looked down at him, physically and mentally. "Listen, you may have spirit, but you've done absolutely nothing to convince me that you deserve a spot in this team. You're annoying, lazy and whiny, and from what I've heard, you don't take kindly to obeying orders either!"

"Well, it's… it's a work in progress, ok? I ain't perfect."

"You're far from it."

"Oi oi… anyways, as I was saying, I ain't perfect, but I'm trying to improve myself! It's a slow process but I…" He fell silent as he heard something shuffling behind him, and the group fell dead quiet as he did. The sound repeated itself, and they all tensed up and got ready, Elly bringing out her dark matter to defend themselves if it came down to it. The sound of a twig snapping and a branch falling not too far above them echoed in the small clearing as some looked up, finding nothing up there, the darkening cloudy skies greeting them high above.

"Get ready… something's coming!" They all observed the direction it was coming from, the bush before them shaking… and without even waiting for their command, Nox blasted it with a fireball, blowing it to splinters and twigs as leaves incinerated in the air, ashes floating down as the creature was revealed: a tiny tangle of vines, similar to whatever that thing's spawn looked like. As the creature writhed and let out weak screeches and perished, they all looked at it as it stopped moving, and became a puddle of antimatter as it slowly vanished.

"Well… at least we know we're getting close!" The Houndour exclaimed, turning around to look at his teammates, who either shifted uncomfortably or otherwise rolled their eyes. Before anything else could be said however, the Houndour saw it. Right above Ayame's head, one of those vines… was moving… and he saw it lunge down at her with his own eyes.

"Ayame, watch out!" His body moved before he knew it, pouncing in her direction, feeling as if he wasn't going to reach her, until a sudden explosion at his blasted him forward, lower legs wrapped in flame, and tackled her to the ground, the vine coiling around right back leg and slamming him into the ground before flinging him away and through the bushes, to the great distress of everyone in the team, including Ayame.

"NOX!" The screech of sheer despair that came from Serge when he saw her disappear between the vegetation was enough to stir everyone into action, the Pidgeot being the first to run blindly into the forest.

" **Move it move it**!" Eric threw orders left and right, once again Ayame dashing forward between the bushes as she skillfully ran after the Houndour, who screaming and howling in fear and pain as his body hit branches and roots, the Pidgeot repeating his name over and over as fear gripped his body.

"Not like this… not like this! Nox! NOX!" In just the blink of an eye everything had gone straight to hell, and Ayame was somehow getting ahead of him, though with how thick the vegetation was, it was impossible for him to catch up, constantly hitting and smacking into trees as he and the others cleared the way whilst Elly talked into her crystal.

"Attention all units! We have encountered the Rebscura! It has taken one of our team mates, send back up, repeat send back up!" They could all feel that whatever this thing was it was right around the corner… they saw Nox twist to the left, and Ayame rushed ahead faster, roaring as she brought out her water katana and jumped out from the bushes, lunging at the tentacle as she intercepted it in a large clearing. With a well aimed slice, she cut the thing off and Nox crashed into her, grabbing the Houndour that had in a way saved her and landing on her back, the others coming out into the clearing shortly after.

"Nox!" Serge seemed to be about to go mute with the way his throat sounded, coarse and stressed out as he kneeled and hugged the fire type, who was still in the midst of his adrenaline rush, but he still patted Serge's body, feeling his feathers and bringing slight comfort. "Are you ok?! Kiddo!"

"Yes yes I'm fine! What the fuck jus-"

"Everyone! Look up!" Jake suddenly called out, and those that weren't already looking up in disbelief and horror did just that. Or rather, looked up and around the clearing before them: hanging from vines and trees were more than five dozens of pokémon, all of them unconscious, bodies sprawled about the ground. It didn't take a genius to guess which were alive and which were dead, and there were more dead bodies than they would've liked, about twenty of them from the quick headcount that Jake made. Still, the survivors far outnumbered the victims four to one but… there was something wrong still.

"What the hell…?" Lucy's question was one of disbelief and distress. "Where the fuck are we?!"

"This has to be that thing's lair… hadn't we acted when we did, Nox could've joined them… But that doesn't matter right now, we need to get those people out of t-"

"WAIT!" Eric stopped her mate from going anywhere, crossing his paw in front of her, using his aura senses. The place was bursting with life energy. "If this is that monster's lair then… where is it?!" He was looking around frantically, and as he peered around, he felt what was a source of energy hanging from the trees… right above them. "It's…" He opened his eyes slowly, breathing heavily as he turned around and faced up, and froze where he stood, his eyes widening in horror as he took a step back. The others did the same, some rapidly, some very slowly… but they all saw it.

( **Metroid Prime Battle - Metroid Prime** )

Above them, coiled to at least six trees by eight of those thick tentacles was an open dark green bud with purple spikes covering it, hanging from the lower side was some kind of slimy appendage, and stuck to it was the limp body of some pokémon… a Zangoose, from the look of it, her insides being ravaged as they all saw one of those green things slip into her body as red meat and blood seeped from her into the monster. The sight was disturbing and disgusting, they all took a step back, Elly ended up vomiting whilst the others either gagged or spit out, even Ayame wasn't exempt to this, staring at the creature in absolute horror.

And in the middle of that open bud, as they'd soon see, was an equally fearsome creature: bug like in appearance, scythes for arms, a skull like face with four beady eyes and a dislocated jaw with several rows of teeth from which lacked a dark drool, having been feasting on yet another unlucky victim. Its eyes focused on them, the exoskeleton of the creature glistening as the bodies dropped to the floor and its jaw opened, letting out a blood curdling screech that snapped them out of their stupor and reminded them of their mission: to kill that thing, which absolutely towered over them, almost half as high as one of the trees in that forest!

" **Send back up! We have encountered the full Rebscura! It's a massive creature!** " Elly cried into the crystal as the bud closed and protected the main body, the tentacles shooting out to grab to other trees, the monster slinging between them as it buried the scythes at the end of its tentacles into the ground, uprooting grass, bushes and everything in its way as it made a large hole, sending a wall of dirt in the direction it moved as it turned to face them, yet another screech as it prepared itself for battle, using two tentacles to stick to the ground, two to the trees, and the remaining four shooting towards them.

"Get out the way!" They all had to separate and roll away the space in the clearing giving Serge some space to fly around as he took flight, Lucy and Nox mounting on his back as they engaged, the two on his back firing projectiles and looking for a better point from where to shoot at the monster, while Eric decided to pull out his best weapon, summoning his light staff and aiming at it before howling and firing off a beam of pure light straight into the bud… which merely bounced off into the sky, serving as a beacon to the rescue team that they hoped was incoming.

But the Riolu couldn't even think of that as he gasped from the exertion. "What?! It deflected the beam?!" One of the left tentacles swayed from side to side, as if mocking him… This creature was not only sentient, but apparently it could understand what they said, not unlike the Hunter. "Damn it, everyone watch out, this thing is tougher than we thought!"

"Strike down its tentacles! Aim at the points where the scythes at the appendages meet, that's the weak spot!" Nox and Lucy were already trying their best to hit the tentacles on their end, which Serge was having very little issue dodging and flying around, landing and leaving Lucy as she dashed to the side and shot a bolt right at one of those zones, shocking and paralyzing it, letting Nox as Serge swooped by and around, but the other tentacle was quick to smack them out of the air as they crashed down. Flames fell and rained all over the paralyzed tendril, weakening and burning its skin, and just like last time, Ayame stabbed her blade into the thick tendril and sliced away, burying and howling as she tried to cut it off completely. Before she could release the grip on her blade however, the tentacle began to move again and slung up, letting her slice through it as she howled and launched up into the air, then falling down and saw the bud opening slightly, seeing the skeletal insect within.

"Shit!" She quickly threw her blade down at it to attempt to harm it and save herself, but as she'd find out soon she wasn't alone at the time: she felt something hit her side and fling her towards the trees, grabbing onto a branch and spinning up to grab onto it as the blade went into the bud and exploded from the water pressure, and the burnt tentacle was sliced off by a decisive cut from Serge, who swooped down and took care of the tendril. The one who had saved her life? Elly's dark matter was hovering up above the creature, so it was rather obvious, but the Eevee would end up paying the price as she didn't have her dark matter to protect her from the tentacle that swept across the ground, sending her hurling towards a tree and hitting her head against the bark, her mate looking in horror as he saw her body slump down.

"Zed! Protect her! Jake we need to cut those things down!" The Zorua did as he was told, transforming into a Shinx to get to the Eevee faster and quickly swapped to a Graveler to to defend her from the tentacle that shot towards her, trying to impale her, grabbing the blade and groaning in pain and exertion as he stopped the scythe with just his rock skin and tried to get it away from her, the blade barely scratching the Eevee's belly. Luckily, Jake summoned three icicles on his way to the Eevee, firing one at the tender area and stopping it in its tracks, quickly using his two remaining icicles to fight back against the insane pressure that the tentacle was forcing upon Zed, the ice cracking shortly after he began pushing. Eric meanwhile, was busy blocking the other tentacle, pushed against the tentacle pinning his friends down as the blade grazed his neck, howling out as he kept pushing.

"Lucy, help me!" He ordered, and the Shinx responded in kind, firing a bolt to attempt to paralyze it, the creature tanking the bolt, then fired a second as she saw the scythe from the remain tendril on her end come down, having to dodge out of the way before she was sliced in half, albeit she was hit by the blunt side of the blade still as it swung to the side, hitting her in the face and making her bite down on her cheek, tasting blood as she landed, her side burning up, the blade's pointy end having found its mark and cut her side a bit.

Eric however, felt the tendril above him stop, the bolt having found its mark and paralyzed it. He reacted quickly, pushing back with all his might and smashing the back end of his staff into that flexible area, then using the momentum of his strike he spun and changed the stuff into the blade, slicing that part clean off and making the creature writhe in pain as he turned back to his main worry, quickly glancing to his friends. Zed was barely resisting, groaning, whilst Jake had had to resummon the third icicle as the blade kept inching closer, having reaching Elly's chest and cut a tiny scratch into her fur. "Eric… **Do something!** " The ice type called out in despair, the Riolu reacting and stabbing his blade into the creature.

That didn't do as much as he'd hoped however, and seeing the other tentacle swing back down to him forced him to vault over the appendage. Whilst he moved however, he changed his blade into the whip, which coiled around and seared its skin, leaving a burnt area that Eric quickly took advantage off, jumping up and then coming down with a helm splitter, slicing the tentacle clean off as his blade cut through most of it, then the creature's violent yank backwards ended up ripping the rest off, the monster recoiling in pain as the trees shook violently, antimatter seeping out of the open wounds.

Above it, Ayame balanced and swung from branch to branch, sneaking behind it to find the tendrils that it was using to hold itself to the trees, and called out to Nox, who looked up and dodged a swipe from the two remaining tentacles, before blasting fire up in that direction. The skin and the branches were singed and burnt, the Frogadier hiding behind the tree before leaping out, blade in hand, and twisting in the air, burying the blade in the tentacle and slicing downward, drawing out a long roar of pain from the creature before vaulting off and over the other two, smacked downward and bouncing off the dirt, wincing in pain. The wounded tendril loosened itself and the only remaining one coiled around the tree, screeching out with such intensity that they all had to cover their ears, Elly waking up finally, her head dizzy and vision blurry.

"Are you alright?" Her mate had approached and kneeled besides her, shaking her back to consciousness, the Eevee nodding lazily. Zed gave out a cry of alarm as the remaining tendril on the left side attacked, as the ground shook underneath them, the buried tendrils moving through to attack them now. Elly reacted quickly as she saw that tendril approaching and her mate turned around to block the scythe with his staff, struggling against it again. This time however, Elly was there to help him out, her dark matter sliding across the ground underneath the midsection of the tendril and shooting up, a large Pidgeot wing swinging upward and slicing the thing in half like it was made out of butter. Howling, she stood up and pushed forward as the sliced tentacle attempted to block her again, only to be sliced in half and hanging loosely, those green egg like creature flowing out quickly as it screeched again, its spawn coming to life as the main body suffered more and more grievous wounds.

With three tentacles sliced off, the groups attempted to meet up again, two more bursting out from the ground, and Elly dived in to slice at them again… but they met her wing with their scythes, entering a brief struggle that she lost, as the right one quickly slid down and impaled the dark matter, breaking it into pieces, half of it returning to ELly while the latter half scattered across the clearing. "Damn it!" She screamed out, a numb pain coursing through her right leg. This however, gave Serge and Lucy enough time to come in, tackling the Eevee out of the way of the next tentacle and then Serge swooped in to grab them all, flying up and away.

"Serge, let me go! I've got this!" The Pidgeot did as the Riolu said and he let go of the fighting type, who used a water sphere to hook over to the top of one tree, a tentacle shooting out and impaling itself on the bark. Knowing that only his fire whip was capable of searing it he tried to get through it, but found that when he jumped to another branch, the whole tree shook and moved. The blade then sliced through the rest of the trunk and the upper half of the tree flew off, forcing him to jump off and using that whip to try and swing over to another tree, barely making it to the next tree and transforming it into a blade as that tentacle kept chasing after him, experty dodging any bolts of electricity Lucy shot at it, which was hard to do since they also had a tendril chasing them.

Zed and Jake were helping Ayame and Nox deal with the other two tentacles, but soon they'd notice they had more pressing matters, as the Frogadier heard the sound of wet footsteps behind her. She gazed behind her and sliced at the parasite that had taken the discarded carcass of a pokémon, the nearly empty body falling to the ground lifeless as the creature within was slain. The parasites were already taking the corpses to approach and attack them, surging out of the sliced off tentacles and the open wounds on the main body. "Don't worry, I've got this!" Nox exclaimed, running into the mob, followed behind by Zed, who did his best to transform into one of those creatures, as he soon found out, they couldn't tell enemy from ally, making it much easier for him to disguise as a Zangoose and slumber around before taking them out one by one with his claws, whilst Zed blasted fire and made rows of flames to separate, then jumped through and sliced through and burnt them to a crisp.

Jake and Ayame turned their attention to the wounded tentacle that Ayame had wounded, and quickly headed straight for it, the ice type throwing out a gust of freezing wind to coat the floor in ice, letting him slide under the other tentacle, which attempted to impale him, and fire three icicles at the open wound, sticking them in and them clutching his fist, making the ice shatter outward and expose the lower section, which Ayame would then rush into, summoning two blades and diving in, stabbing both into the exposed dark flesh and then slicing outward simultaneously, cutting off the fourth tentacle as she vaulted back, feeling some drops of dark matter burning into her skin. A small price to be paid as they effectively gimped it again.

The Rebscura roared in agony once more, falling off the tree and burying its tentacles into the ground as the bud uncoiled and opened, the main body exposing itself, seemingly dazed and tired, but still very much alive and fighting as its spawn came at them in swarms. Nox blasted and burnt everything that came their way, before noticing that some were climbing up the trees. "Shit, they're trying to get to the survivors to kill them! Jake, Lucy!" He called out for the other two ranged attackers on the team, who responded as swiftly as possible and began sniping at the creatures climbing up, buying Zed some valuable time as he took to helping get people down from the trees and making sure they were safe.

Ayame and Eric moved together, meeting with the creature's scythe like arms, matching its high strength for just a bit before being thrown back, smaller tentacles coming from within as they writhed and coiled around each other, making for thicker limbs to smack them away, but soon Elly and Serge would rush in, the Eevee on his back and brandishing psychic blades as she spiralled down, a hail of transparent blue swords slicing through those smaller tendrils and opening a gap for Ayame to come back in and retain one of the arms, and Serge quickly flew and landed besides Elly to protect her from the other. With the main creature opened, Elly used her dark matter to deliver an uppercut on the creature's jaw, dislocating it before Eric came down with his staff… and stabbed it through the left eye, making it screech out as he roared and with all his might, ripped out of its skill and smashed the left side of its face in, destroying it completely.

( **Stop the music)**

With that, it slumped forward and stopped moving, almost crushing Elly in the process. They all backed away and regrouped, watching as the tentacles fell and crashed down, shaking the forest around them as the massive beast ceased moving. They were all panting or groaning, either from exhaustion or from the pain of their open wounds or the hits they'd sustained from the monster's onslaught. It took a full minute for the adrenaline to start wearing off and stop clouding their minds and senses, dropping their guards slightly at first, then fully as they all visibly relaxed and looked at the monster's corpse. Nox was the first to cheer, jumping up.

" **Wooooo!** Hell yeah, we did it! **Wooo hoooo!** " The others followed suit, Serge coming in to hug the fire type and toss him up and down, Lucy tackling and nuzzling her mate as he returned the motion, whilst Eric and Elly looked at each other and smiled. Jake and Ayame were the only ones who stayed somewhat restrained, albeit smiles crept up to their faces, knowing that the monster's reign of terror was now over.

"Excellent fighting." He complimented her, the Frogadier returning the motion with a nod.

"Likewise. Besides some sloppy teamwork, your strength truly does increase exponentially when you fight together." She hadn't expected them to work together like that, even if there were some areas that still needed improvement, she could easily tell why they were the top of the top when it came to exploration teams. Before the celebrations could continue further however, the sound of something shuffling through the bushes behind them. They all immediately tensed up again, thinking it was more of those small green things, only to be pleasantly surprised as Chatot came out into the clearing, panting heavily. They all exchanged looks of concern, then relief, and then pure terror as he saw the massive creature that lay dead behind them.

" **Good Arceus!** " His shout definitely called everyone else over, guild members and judges pouring into the clearing, looking round and quickly moving in to help those that were still alive, whilst staying in awe of the monster Team Star had downed. Ferrus and Tharmius were among them, the Kommo-O coming into the clearing along with the Judges, staring in silence at the creature as he approached Team Star, who was conversing with Ferrus.

"It seems that you had your hands full… apologies for not reaching you sooner, you covered much more ground than we thought."

"It's alright. Had you guys come in halfway through the fight someone could've gotten killed." Eric replied, shaking hands with the Lucario.

"Eh, we would've still been just fine, even if we had to babysit your butts." Lucy's smile couldn't get wider, definitely quite happy that everything had gone by so smoothly, and at the very least this time around she didn't almost get killed!

"Still, he gave us a fucking scare with Nox being taken away like that… Oh, and about that." Serge turned to Ayame, looking at her straight in the eye. "I know you don't like me, and to be honest I don't like you either… but thanks for saving Nox's life."

"Hmph… It's about what I expected. Don't think this changes anything, Kaze."

"Right… Well, we can discuss this further when we get home, for now we need to help get those survivors down from the vines and to a safer location… And take care of the dead too. Wigglytuff, the covers, we must cover the bodies, or what's left of them!" He turned around and started giving orders along with the guildmaster to get everyone working, joining them after a few brief seconds. The Judges and the explorers were all working together, surprisingly enough, and Team Star saw all of it unfold as they sat down to take a breather, Chimecho floating over to check out how they were doing and inspect their wounds.

"Well… None of your are particularly in bad shape, except for you Serge, your wounds look like they're about to re-open. Your left foot is slightly bruised and could get worse if you keep moving, Nox. The rest of you look a-ok." She gave each of them individual advice, with Eric being dismissed first after being told he should watch his blood pressure. "It's extremely low, below normal." Why that was the case, he didn't know, but for now he would sit around and wait for the others to be dismissed.

He noticed Tharmius was just… staring at the Rebscura. He was still very much angry with the dragon type, but the Kommo-O had a worried look on his face, and so he approached. He seemed to have heard him coming to, because he started talking before Eric did. "So this is a Rebscura." He stated, looking it up and down, his eyes stopping on the seeping wounds. "What a monstrous creature…"

"Is it the first time you've ever seen one?" He glanced at him, and the plated dragon nodded.

"Indeed, it is the first time I've seen one in person. I'd seen drawings of them before, but they could never come close to how grotesque this creature is. How such a creature can exist, let alone keep itself from falling apart is awesome… in a religious sense."

The Riolu nodded, staring at the monster for what felt like a few more seconds… and his blood froze. "Back off." He suddenly ordered, putting his paw in front of the dragon type.

"Wh-"

"Back off! Team!" He called the team to get up, and pointed at the Rebscura, a look of worry clear as day on his face. They all stood up quickly, looking at the monster in confusion, though Jake quickly caught on and called for Ferrus to order everyone away from the Rebscura.

"What's going on?" Tharmius inquired as they all stepped up again, being pushed back to the seven pokémon team and the mercenary.

"The body… it's not falling apart. The Rebscura is dead, but its body is not decomposing like it should." Eric briefly explained, letting the implications of that realization sink in. He silently stepped back and waved his right claw frantically, ordering everyone to fall back as well, leaving a large gap of space between the rescuers and the apparent corpse. Eric didn't want to risk it, and looked at Elly. "Tie your dark matter around my waist and all of you back off as well. If you see it move, pull back."

"What are you going to do?" Came Elly's question, and his answer was summoning a light staff, but holding it out with both paws, shrinking until it disappeared into his paws, his team mates backing off immediately. "Everyone, be careful! Don't approach!" Those that didn't know what the Riolu was about to do simply backed away slowly, unsure of what to even expect at this point, but as they saw the Riolu's arms begin to glow more and more intensely, and the markings on his right arm began to glow and become more defined against his blue fur, they guessed it was going to be quite a big attack.

However, that attack would never hit its mark. As he counted down from three to let the others brace themselves, on two one of the large tentacles slung forward, Elly reacting immediately, and to her surprise, Tharmius rushed in and pulled back on the rope of dark matter too, launching the fighting type back as the beam fired and missed, burning right through one of trees and sectioning it in half, the upper part creaking and snapping as it fell down and cut the clearing in half, the Rebscura screeching and freezing all those present in terror.

They'd seen the massive body, and none of them had been able to imagine that thing moving… and yet there it was, quickly coiling its tentacles around, the bud closing as the main body sprung to life and screeched at them before grabbing the trees and throwing itself into the woods, tearing down trees as it moved. As it left, an air of dread and distress hung above their heads, a kind of abomination that had shaken them to their very core, grotesque, monstrous and scarring in every possible way.

"Shit! It's getting away!" Lucy called out, watching as the massive monster made its way further and further into the forest, then taking off running after it along with Serge, Nox and Jake.

"If we don't catch up with it, it'll regenerate all its lost limbs!" Jake added, seeing as the damage they had dealt to the monsters tentacle the prior day hadn't carried over to that fight, it was safe to assume it could regenerate itself if given enough time. Knowing there was no time to waste, Elly took off running, with Zed and Ayame joining shortly after. The only one who stayed behind was, paradoxically, Eric, who was staring off into the distance on one knee, hyperventilating and breathing quickly. "Eric!" The Sneasel's call seemed to snap him back into action, stumbling up to his feet and almost falling headfirst.

"I'm alright I'm alright! Go go go!"

"Everyone, stay here and take care of the survivors, we'll finish this!" Elly shouted back as they charged after the creature, which was leaving a large path of destruction through the forest as they moved, their cloaks brushing and getting stuck on branches and bushes as they ran through as quickly as they could. Drops of water splashed and crashed onto their faces and heads, quickly pulling up their hoods as the water piled up and built up quickly, going from cloudy to a slight drizzle as the skies above them darkened considerably, charging straight into the thick of the storm.

As they reached the edge of the forest, the creature finally ceased moving and slumbered back and forth, the bug open as it let out screams and roars, the stumps of the wounded tentacles bursting out and being replaced by several, much smaller tendrils, lightning strike above to make out its silhouette, more of those limbs bursting from its torax as it seemed to change forms right before their eyes, a pair of slick webbed wings appearing on the back of the main body, too small to even get the main body to lift off, but seemingly in the process of growing and becoming stronger, the lower jaw dislocating further to accommodate the rows of teeth that burst out as its beady eyes multiplied twofold, save for the ones that Eric had violently destroyed, a mixture black ooze giving off a gentle glow seeping out of the wound, unable to recuperate from that wound seemingly.

( **The Viper - Devil May Cry 4** )

Team Star caught up and beheld as the creature transformed and writhed, standing on those four tentacles, as big and tall as the trees they'd left behind, the bud being the size of a house, its shape and figure heightened by the dimmer lighting and angle, its writhing and disgusting form disturbing the entire group. But still, they pressed on, Eric summoning another light staff, much to his grimace as he felt his vision blurring, but holding on through sheer force of will, the creaturing roaring back as they prepared to engage it once more.

"Attack the tentacles, we must topple it and keep it from running away!" The Riolu ordered as the monster began to move across the field with incredible ease. Being outside of the woods gave Serge the space he needed to fly, taking off with Lucy and Jake on his back whilst Zed transformed into a Staravia and took off as well, the other four chasing the creature on foot, Ayame's speed picking up as the rain only got stronger, summoning two blades that she immediately hurled at the ground, bursting out as the high pressure water shook and battered the limbs, making it lose its balance and almos trip, slinging back and curving its entire body to slam the front tentacles behind, putting the bud upside down as it opened, its scythe like limbs having split into sharp claws that it swiped with, the Frogadier quickly blocking as a mass of tendrils rained down and stabbed at her skin, making her wince and fall back.

"Ayame!" Nox called out in a panic as she stumbled and groaned, rolling and backing off further and further, blocking strikes until she was out from under the bud. She felt herself becoming more and more dizzy, and fearing the worst, she unsummoned her blades as nausea took hold of her, one of the tendrils lifting itself and aiming to impale her as she bent forth and puked out whatever she'd eaten for lunch. She was saved by Elly, her dark matter smacking her out of the way as she writhed and spit out a vile smelling clear liquid, the water bubbles on her body deflating as she purified and flushed out the toxins that had just been injected in her body.

"Damn… that thing poisoned me… All of you, be careful, don't get stung by them!" She'd been careless and had paid the price. Whilst she was out for the moment, the others took heed of her message as they rushed under the bud to strike at the creature's main body, whilst Serge and Zed flying ahead kept moving and avoiding strikes from the tentacles as Jake jumped from Serge's back to Zed's, making the transformed Zorua huff.

"We must attack from two different angles!" He looked at the underside of the bud, spotting that strange soft underbelly and the protrusion, which gave off a faint pinkish glow, and looked extremely frail and gelatinous even. "That appendage… could it perhaps be a weak spot? Some sort of organ?"

"Looks like a fuc- WOAH!" Serge and Zed had to roll and fly out of the way as one of the tentacles flew up, the creature moving once more and running upside down, forcing those on the ground to keep running to catch up, the Houndour blasting and turning the smaller tendrils into cinders as they came at them, Eric slashing and cutting his way through them and striking at the main body, only to be me with its claws and pushed back as those wings fluttered, making an extremely unpleasant buzzing noise. Elly used her dark matter to punch through the mass of tendrils, making it into a Riolu fist to grab and tear at the tendrils and reached one of the wings, howling as she yanked it off and made the creature screech and speed up, leaving them behind as it jumped and returned to its original position, though this time the four main tentacles coiled around themselves as the monster took a more snake like form, slithering and sliding across the mudied ground with ease as it lashed out with all four tips buried in the dirt.

The ground shook lightly and with all its might ripped the ground up, boulders and dirt flying everywhere as it smashed and created ditches everywhere it went, which quickly filled up with the rain water and mud, creating dangerous pools of mud that made the land bound pokémon slow down. Soon however, Ayame caught up, rushing and seemingly walking on these ponds, jumping off of one as the water shot up and stabbed a sword into the midsection of the body, where one of the main tentacles had been before, repeatedly stabbing into it with her right blade whilst her left was kept there for a safe grip, making the serpent go wild and out of course as it coiled on itself and attempted to smack Ayame off in rage. However, the Frogadier saw this and instead jumped off, leaving her blades behind, which promptly exploded after they left her range, blowing a large hole in the bud as one of the petals was completely ripped off, forcing it coil around itself further in order to protect the main body.

"Nice job!" Nox congratulated her as he ran by, Eric and Elly catching up soon, the Riolu looking quite winded and tired, much more than the Eevee did, who instead was wincing as she ran almost on three paws. Up above, the flying pokémon had constantly been barraging and attacking the creature with icicles and thunderbolts, but most proved ineffective or bounced off of the main bud's slick skin, protected by those thorns. Realizing it was going to be overwhelmed, the creature decided to stop running and return to attacking, this time sweeping across the ground, throwing more dirt and mud again, stabbing into the ground and throwing boulders at the ones in the air, trying to predict Serge and Zed's sporadic movements, but also severely hindering Jake and Lucy's ability to aim.

Meanwhile, those on land would face off against the smaller tentacles and the Rebscura's main body once again, screeching and lashing out as they approached. Eric and Nox attacked from a distance, whilst Elly once again protected, using her water wall to bounce back any rocks that were hurled in their direction, giving Ayame precious time to catch up. "Elly! Bounce me higher!" She shouted as she came up. The Eevee, seeing her readying two more blades, nodded and placed the wall horizontally, allowing Ayame to jump and then, as it stretched, she bounced higher and over the wall of smaller tendrils, hurling a sword right at the Rebscura's face, which exploded and blew its swords backwards, then she landed on its head and attempted to impale it, but to her surprise, its scythe like arms were much more flexible than those of a real insect's, reaching up and trying to cut her head clean off, quickly blocking and running under as the water blade disappeared and flowed across her back and to her other arm, just in time to reform and block the other arm, jumping off to try and get to safety.

Once again, they underestimated how intelligent this creature was, its tentacles moving with seemingly a mind of their own and waiting for Ayame as she came down, making a bed of spikes for her to land and skewer herself on, though Serge was quick to react and dive down, grabbing her by her hoodie and lifting her up, struggling to get away fast enough before they were smacked out of the air, which ended up happening anyways, the full length of one of the tendrils smashing into him from the top and throwing Lucy away with them.

"Lucy!"

"Serge! Ayame!" First Zed, dived down to try and reach them as Jake covered them with calculated blasts of ice, but even his terrifying accurate aim wasn't enough to shoot down the waves of tendrils, forcing the Zorua to back away before they're smacked down. Then, Nox began to run towards them as the beast started to turn around, moving closer to attempt to finish the job. Eric and Elly moved with it, trying to keep in its sights to defend the others, whilst Nox slowed down, his eyes drawn to something else, glowing on its underside. It was fleshy, glowing spot they'd seen before, biting his lower lip as he prepared a blast of fire… then reconsidered. He was too far away, and it was moving too much. Trying to think of ways to approach, he remembered what had just happened a few minutes ago, when saving Ayame.. he didn't know how it had happened. All he knew was that he was jumping, then something exploded under him and hurled him forward, and there was fire.

Eric and Elly quickly stepped in to block the scythes, the creature screeching in their faces, making their ears ring in pain as Jake kept throwing icicles from Zed's back, barely managing to get enough time for the others to get up, actively struggling. Nox, under the pressure, forewent all of that and charged forward, letting his flames course through, with every intention to blast that thing from as close as he could, and then jumped… and he would see it. He'd see the flames flowing down to his paws, right under his pads, then suddenly bursting outward and exploding once more, a loud enough bang to call the creature's attention. But it was too late for it, as his jaws closed around that part, biting down and holding for dear life as the antimatter flowed out, burning away his fur slowly.

The Rebscura screeched and roared in agony, limbs reaching behind to try and kill the Houndour latching onto its weak spot, but not before he roared out, fire surging from his throat as he fired that orb of fire point black, blowing that thing to bits and making a surge of its black blood spew out, landing on his feet and quickly dashing away, using the same trick to vault away, landing on his back and sliding on the cold mud, panting heavily as the creature coiled and screamed, before receiving a brutal thrust into its abdomen, courtesy of Eric's ice blade, then he sliced outward, slicing its left side open and spilling more of its contents. Realizing it was losing ground, it screamed and coiled up again before they could continue attacking, and slithered away into the nearby forest, thinking it could evade its attackers there.

"It's getting away again!" Serge pointed out as he stood up, recovering from the hard landing as Zed landed besides him, running to Lucy to check how she was doing.

"I'm alright, just a bit dazed is all… my side hurts like a bitch too." As she stood up, and fell back down again, Zed would notice a bloodied spot with what seemed like a sharp rock sticking out. "Does it look bad?"

"No… I think it's mostly a flesh wound, hold on…" He gripped it with a paw and she yelped in pain, backing away and making him pull out the stone, which in turn hurt just a bit more.

"Ow! Fuck, Zed!"

"Sorry, sorry! Don't back away while I'm doing things yo-"

"No time for that you two, come on!" Serge ran past them, taking flight again as Jake caught up and jumped up on his back, Elly and Eric following closely, Ayame recovering and twisting her right wrist, trying to mitigate the pain. Nox managed to catch up to them, his lips and maw still tingling from the dark matter he'd bitten on. "Kiddo, you alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You pulled off some crazy moves back there… what was that all about? Using your flames to boost yourself higher." Eric caught his attention as they kept running. It wasn't hard to find the trail of destruction the monster was leaving behind. "It was like when I use my wind spheres, but didn't seem to hurt you.

"Yeah… I don't know, it just happened. Look, I'm kinda worried about something else here." He replied, looking forward. Just above the treeline they could faintly see the writhing mass of tentacles.

"I see… We've almost got it people, just one last push!"

"We better get a fucking long ass vacation after this!" Lucy exclaimed as they came out into what was yet another clearing, but this one, to their shock, lead straight to a beach, the thundering skies above them having reached their peak as rain poured down, the sea coiling and lashing as waves clashed and rose against each other, and before them, the creature took its last transformation, a secondary torso bursting out from the hole that they'd made in its own, head and all, with its own scythe like arms, but instead having its eyes on the ends of what seemed like smaller tendrils, becoming more and more grotesque and deformed as they wore it down.

Blood oozed from the open wounds on its main body still, and the many cuts and destroyed limbs and egg laying appendage underneath it showed the signs of critical damage… but being a Rebscura, they wouldn't be able to stop it easily. " _We need to find a way to get rid of this thing in one move… but everytime I try to use my light beam it keeps using those thorns_!"

" _The Rebscura are said to act purely on the pure instinct to destroy and kill all that is composed of regular matter, right? And this sense overcomes everything else, so if we destroy all of its methods of attacking us…_ " Jake quickly suggested as the creature once again retreated to the safety of its buds.

" _It might become desperate enough to come out, and then you can destroy it!"_ Elly finished as all of their thoughts were in sync, Nox quickly helping Ayame catch up with the plan as the beast toiled and stood up slowly, the group readying themselves for the final round.

"Then let's do it! Nox, Serge, Ayame, destroy the ones on the left! Jake, Zed and Lucy, get the ones on right! Elly, cover me while I charge the attack!" The plan already put into motion, everyone moved out to fulfill their duties, the energy the Riolu was charging up from the environment catching the rebscura's attention, as it immediately lashed at him, only for Elly to use her dark matter to quickly conjure up three walls, two vertical, and one above them, to block the incoming attacks, putting her psychic powers into it too as she screamed and withstood the strikes.

"Your battle is with us, abomination!" Jake shouted to divert its attention, blasts of ice coating its scythe heads and making them much more frail, something that Zed quickly followed up on as he flew up quickly to gain height and distance. To cover him, Lucy shot bolts of electricity and its weak spots and open wounds, getting its attention and darting around. Not even the searing pain coming from her paws or the numbing burning sensation from her side were enough to make her lose concentration, giving Zed enough valuable time to crash down on that section with his Cranidos form, shattering it and severing the head off. The main body was still there, but not for long, as he quickly transformed into a Graveler, picked up Jake and hurled him sky high, the Sneasel aiming one thick icicle straight down the open wound as the tentacle stretched out to try and catch him. A bolt from the Shinx outlined his shape as it shot down into the body, then he simply clenched his fist as it reached the base, completely obliterating both of the tentacles, which were right next to each other as chunks of the creature's flower, and even another petal fell off.

Simultaneously, Serge and Ayame held their ground as they sliced at the scythe blades, keeping the tendrils at bay while Nox weakened the main bodies with his fireballs, giving them many seared spots to hack and slash at their discretion. Ayame buried her blade into one of the tentacles, this time holding on as she rose up, then sliding down its side as she buried her second blade and made a downward motion, slicing it through the middle. However, it wasn't enough to completely destroy it, at which point she rushed up the limb, slicing away and then finally ending off as she buried both blades and vaulted forward and over the blade, letting them burst into that high pressure water and rip it off cleanly. Serge decided to take the faster, albeit also stylish route of flying close to the ground, twisting as the tentacle lashed out multiple times, sliding across the mud and giving it one decisive slash to cut the limb in half, Nox finally finishing it off as he jumped with another blast of fire, this time having aimed a fireball at his feet, and fired the ball right down the newly opened wound.

"Ah fuck… That one DID hurt." He groaned as he landed on his stomach unceremoniously, Serge helping him up quickly with a wing, not even having time to congratulate his stunt before Elly let out a scream. The bud had opened not soon after the tentacles were taken care of, but those additional smaller tentacles and head were giving her trouble, obscuring her view as she had to place the dark matter right in front of herself and Eric, who was almost ready.

"Help!" Her cry was answered immediately, blood seeping from her nose as Serge and Ayame rushed in and sliced their way through the tangle of tentacles, with Nox coming in to blast fireballs as the torso head, making it fall back, as bolts of electricity and icicles barraged it, a Graveler rolling in at the last moment to block what looked like a dangerous slice from one of the scythe like limbs. Just like that thought, they were all overwhelmed and busy protecting themselves and their leaders.

"Elly! Drop it, I'm ready!"

"No! You only have one shot, I need to… Gah!" The creature was in fact moving around a lot, and if he missed, she had a feeling he wouldn't be able to get another one off."

"I can hit it like this!" His screams went by ignored, the Eevee resorting to quickly grabbing the creature, foregoing her defenses as the scythes crashed down from the sides, quickly backstepping as she grabbed and pulled it closer. "Elly!"

" **Now! Do it now!** " She screamed it at the top of her lungs, and nearly everyone caught wind of it as the fulgor from Eric's paw reached its peak.

" **Get down!** " Was his final warning, his team mates quickly crouching or otherwise getting out of the way as he howled out and let go of the energy, the creature attempting to rush at him before he could fire it… but it failed to. The beam hit it face first, and everything was engulfed in white.

( **Stop the music)**

* * *

"Alright, is that the last of them?" Ferrus inquired, the last of the survivors having been tucked away into the back of a caravan, whilst the dead had been picked out, covered to protect them from the rain, and ready to be taken back to the nearest town. It wasn't the best solution, but given the circumstances and weather, it was the best they could manage.

"Yes, I checked their vitals… Nearly a dozen victims, all of them within the last twenty four hours, some of them hours ago." Chimecho sounded exhausted, and she most likely was, physically and emotionally. With the medic's judgement handed down, he rose his paw and ordered the group to move out, which it slowly dead, crawling through the mud as he glanced back in the direction that Team Star had headed. He wasn't the only one however, Tharmius doing much of the same, lagging behind his companions. "They'll be fine." Chimecho said, catching the Lucario's attention, who was greeted with a forced smile. "You know they've been through worse."

The fighting type would've answered with a nod, if it weren't for the sudden gasp he heard from his side, quickly turning to face the pokémon, as more and more were turning around completely, and then did it himself. There, in the sky, clear as day, a beam of light soared through. He caught just a glimpse of the actual beam, but he saw the aftermath, a hole in the clouds, through the which the light of the setting sun slipped through. He was the first one to take action and rush in that direction, but shortly after, Tharmius followed, and soon Chimecho, and some other guild members took off with them.

* * *

The blinding light faded not long after, but they remained dazed and sightless for a few seconds longer, the intensity of the energy being far and beyond what the Riolu had expected. As they came around however, they were able to see the aftermath: from their perspective, the body, of what remained of it, was simply a husk of it shape, the entirety of the torso, the head, everything was gone, instead leaving a giant hole where the flower used to be, the outer carcass, with the remains of the limbs, other tentacles, and the flower petals was still there, and through that hole, an orange, warm glow that contrasted that of the rain pouring down on them greeted the group. The corpse staggered and shifted, bubbling, as it then fell backwards onto the sand, sliding down as it sunk into the water, staying afloat as it stopped, its grotesque figure visible still. Looking at it now, one could appreciate the sheer immensity of the creature, which seemed to have grown larger over the confrontation, if anything.

They all stood ready and tensed up, in case it got up again… but after a solid minute of waiting, and finally seeing that black smoke sizzling out, the first to celebrate was, surprisingly, Jake, who let out a cry of victory. "Excellent!" His excitement got the best of him, and right after that, everyone followed. Nox jumped up and down, swearing like a sailor and letting out cheers. Lucy jumped and hugged Zed, who complained about how sore his body was and blushed deeply when she kissed him on the cheek, whilst Serge sat down and let out a long sigh, whilst Ayame breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, dismissing her blades and rubbing her temples, huffing.

"It's over…" She muttered.

"Yeah… Congratulations on your first Rebscura kill." Serge responded, having overheard her. "Pray it's the last."

"Hmph. With you, Kaze? I'll attempt to hunt down these things on my own from now on if I must."

"I mean, if that helps you sleep at night… sure." His attempt at mocking her didn't go unnoticed… but either she was too tired to do anything, or she didn't care. Either way, she didn't budge and inch, and the Pidgeot considered that a small victory, smiling internally. Eric looked at everyone else, then at Elly, who was on her side, on the floor, catching her breath. The Riolu gave her a nervous look, but she quickly looked up, her fur wet and covering her eyes slightly, but giving him a smile and as best of a thumbs up as she could manage.

"We did it…" She muttered between breaths.

"Yeah… we did." He smiled, looking at the body once more, breathing calmly now. The scent of the rain and the wet mud were incredibly pleasant and relaxing after all of that, the adrenaline wearing off… if only momentarily. As they were all letting their guards down, the body's bubbling and shaking began increasing in frequency. Thinking it was somehow coming back, they all got back up, preparing themselves once more, much to their dismay… only for the largest bubble to burst out violently, a shifting golden, white and blue energy seeping out of the wound, more soon to follow as the rate of these explosions increased with their frequency as the shaking continued…

"Shit, it's going to blow!" They all quickly turned around and ran away, though not fast enough to be exempt from the blast, which ended up blowing them all forward and further inland, into the clearing, where they all looked back. A spiral of that energy surged from the corpse, screeches and howls echoing around them as they did, shifting and moving in tiny currents before ascending and shooting upward. Elly could hear voices in her head, too many of them, all at once, making her wince in pain as she held her head, whilst Eric had to look away and close his eyes, his aura vision activating involuntarily, allowing him to see what looked like figures standing within that intense light, pure aura and energy, like what flowed through their bodies.

"That's… all of the life that the Rebscura took… was it holding it in?" He asked to no one in particular, the more violent reaction ending quickly, having clearing the sky above them as the energy floated around, suspended in midair. Each of them sparkled faintly every so often, almost like in a pattern, before eventually disappear and vanishing, a faint veil of darkness having fallen around them as the sound of the waves and the rain were muffled by… whatever it was that had enveloped them, which was equal parts confusing and beautiful, perhaps a small reward, as from that corrupted body and ground shot out vines and roots, connecting to the beach as the Rebscura's body disappeared, giving way to a tree with a silver bark and blue, almost transparent trees, with those golden sparks flowing through what looked like the trunk and branches, twinkling and falling down like small drops of water, the tree raising up quite high, triple Serge's height.

"It's… beautiful." Even Jake wasn't immune to the haunting sight, finding the prospect of this strange anomaly intriguing, before it finally ended, the veil was lifted, and the rain returned gradually. That feeling that they were being watched, that they were sharing the space they were occupying with someone else remained however, a feeling not unlike that of the Miasma. And perhaps it was this, or most likely his exhaustion, that ended up making the Riolu feel really tired abruptly. He could barely utter a confused whine before his body gave out under him and collapsed on the grass, unconscious.


	13. Chapter 10 - Family

**Whoa! I'm still alive! Finally! And yes, it has been far too long, and I am sorry for taking nearly another month to finish this chapter… I am getting swamped with homework and assignments left and right, and I need to put forth my best bet if I want to get some good grades.**

 **Either way, enjoy what I have written, and I will be answering some reviews like in the past in the next chapter! I think it's high time I get some Q &A stuff going, to get you guys more involved! If you want, leave a review about the chapter (or the fic so far in general), with a question accompanying it, and I will answer both in the next chapter!**

 **Just in foresight someone might ask what I think of Sword and Shield: looks ok, but I think we need to see more before we draw any conclusions.**

 **With that out of the way, enjoy the next chapter and the intermission that comes after it! (Technically it's in the middle, you'll know when, but you know what I mean)**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 10**_

 _ **Family**_

 **The blood that binds us together**

"He's been asleep for a few hours now… Are you absolutely sure he'll be ok now?"

"Yeah, I checked. I haven't the faintest where the hypotension came from, but the blood loss prevented enough blood to reach his body properly and he fainted. How he lost that blood is beyond me, but he's stabilized now. He just needs time to rest, so don't let him get out of bed… no, don't look at me like that, I know how hard that's going to be but you're going to have to get it through his thick skull that he needs to rest and recover all the blood he lost. Sodium intense diet for a few days, but don't overdo it. As for the blood loss… check everything he does and whenever he goes to the bathroom. If there's any blood, then call me right away, because that could be some kind of internal bleeding."

"I thought you checked him for that?" Jake's deep voice echoed in his ears, the Riolu slowly coming around, his head, body and the world around him seemingly spinning, body heavy, tingling as it stirred to life, blood flowing through his limbs faster than before.

"I did, and didn't find anything, but that's honestly the only way I can think he could've lost that much blood, unless it all just up and vanished. It could have something to do with your powers, but… you've been using them for a few years now, and this is the first time this has ever happened."

"Yeah… well, we'll keep an eye on him and keep you updated, ok? Thanks for everything Chimecho." There was a short silence and the sound of pokémon shifting around.

"Awww, that's alright Elly, anything for you guys. Don't hesitate to call me if something goes wrong ok?" With that, the sound of a door opening and closing echoed in his ears, slowly regaining his consciousness, but still very much out of it, only capable of lazily opening his eyes, the world around him blurry. He let out a whine, as if trying to utter words and speak, but he was unable to. He was just too tired, though Elly was there for him, as he'd soon realize when he felt a weight upon his right paw.

"Hey. It's alright, you're alright…" He felt something wet on his right cheek, a kiss, perhaps. "You gave us all one hell of a scare, but you're fine now. I'll tell you all about it later, ok hun? I need you to sleep, relax and recover." She kept repeating the same things, nuzzling and rubbing his head tenderly, trying to get him to relax and fall asleep once again, which she eventually succeeded in. Sleep carried him off once again, and she nuzzled his neck once again, resting her head upon his chest, waiting there in absolute silence, feeling his heartbeat in her head, before pulling back, smiling and quietly slipping out of their room, then back downstairs.

The scene in the living room was a much more upbeat one, though they were all still recovering from their wounds: Lucy's side and body were wrapped up in bandages, and even though she said it was fine, every so often she hissed from the pain of the cut on her side, Serge was once again complaining about his old wound on his chest, and his bones hurt from the crashes and falls they'd had taken and Nox's left foreleg was wrapped up in bandages. The only ones that had gotten away mostly unscathed were Zed, Elly and Jake, and of course Ayame, who'd stuck around for a bit and helped Zed with some errands.

"As long as it doesn't involve the kitchen or treating the Pidgeot." As Elly came down, she was talking with Lucy, though their conversation immediately ended when Elly appeared, and everyone turned to look at her. The Eevee gave them a tired smile, and they all breathed a sigh of relief, or in Ayame's case, a nod of reassurement. "Let's hope that from now on, things calm down and you have just a moment of rest.

"I don't see anyone here going to a mission anytime soon… so in a way, we just got some days off." Zed pointed this out, fully knowing that they'd been asking for something like this for a very long time, Serge throwing his head back.

"Yeah well, don't tell Eric or he'll be all on our case again. Don't want him to have a heart attack!"

"I think the increase in blood pressure would help him, if anything." Elly joked, then sat down, rubbing her sore side, groaning. "Thanks for all the help, Ayame."

She shook her head. "There's no need to thank me, it was an honor to fight alongside most of you. Even though I first thought you were an uncoordinated mess of a team, you managed to steel yourselves and act as one when threatened. Still, to think such creatures can exist… it is unsettling to say the least."

"The worst part is, that's the second one we've fought this month. The last one almost got Jake killed, though of course, we killed him too." Nox chimed in, smiling.

"Technically, my heart seemingly stopped during the operation and a desperate resuscitation was necessitated, courtesy of Lucy."

"Yeah… don't ever ask me to do that ever again." The whole episode in Banshee's Hook had been a more than traumatic experience for her, that much was obvious, her mate nuzzling her in an attempt to ease her worries, an affection she returned with a nuzzle of her own.

"So these monsters are a normal occurrence?"

"More common than we'd like them to be, and not as rare as the media would lead you to believe. They were a lot more frequent like… two or three years ago, when the time freeze was still fresh, but they eventually died out." Serge chimed in, explaining everything as if it wasn't obvious… which it kind of was for everyone in that room.

"Yes, through the decaying of their matter. My clan was fortunate to not run into any of those monsters."

"They weren't nearly as bad as these ones though… They are way stronger than anything Clades ever threw our way, and if they'd been around for long they'd definitely have been noticed earlier." Elly would suddenly drop that bombshell, and let the idea sink in so that everyone else would eventually guess what she was implying.

"...well, that's fucking unsettling… you think that they're-"

"No." She cut Nox off drily. "Eric cleaved him in half and tossed his pieces off Temporal Tower. I sincerely doubt, and I hope neither of them survived that… No, I think something, or rather someone else out there that's making these things. And given that they're way more powerful than what Clades used, that would imply that whoever's making them is stronger than he was."

"I don't think that's possible… Neither of them were at the height of their power when we met them, so there must be a piece of the puzzle we are missing."

"Regardless…" Ayame cut in after Jake made his remark. "The idea of one of those creatures appearing anywhere without any prior warning is unsettling enough." She rose up. "I wish you luck in your future endeavours, but I will be returning to my village."

"Wait, already?" Nox's voice came through as surprised and somewhat sad.

"Yes, my main objective in getting to this region was your friend." She glanced at Serge, the Pidgeot winking an eye and giving her a coy smile, which just made her more annoyed. "But since we made a deal, and Ferrus has promised to grant me pay for my contribution for yesterday's mission, I shall take that as payment."

"So… you'll be leaving us alone?" Again, Nox wanted to know all the details.

"With any luck? Perhaps… unless of course I hear of anything else that Kaze does, in which case I shall return, and this time I shan't be as merciful."

"Again, don't know what the fuck your deal is or why you're after me, but hey the sooner you get out of my life, the better." At this point Serge noticed the Houndour's hunched forward form, still looking at Ayame. "Though… who knows, we could cross paths again. Kinda refreshing to find someone that can fight properly when I'm going all out."

Ayame silently looked at him, then at Nox, then back at him. "I would say the same, if you weren't the scum of the earth, and your protegé wasn't such a tool to be unable to realize your womanizing ways will never get him the girlfriend he so desperately wants." Lucy hissed. She was basically saying what she always did… but in a way meaner way and tone. "I won't consider you a rival either, you would've been defeated hadn't it been for your companion's intervention."

"Ooof… touché. Regardl-"

"Nothing is regardless in this conversation." Whatever her "deal" was with him, she was clearly done dealing with Serge for now, standing up. "We made a deal, and I shall uphold my end of the bargain. Pray that I don't catch wind of your old ways. Next time I won't give you a chance to defend yourself."

"Yeah yeah, whatever… Next time I cross paths with you I'll make sure you don't walk away unscathed either, you deformed blueberry." Both of them glared at each other, the sparks flying off between the two, the tension in the air palpable. Thankfully, Ayame proved to be more reserved than she came through as, and looked at the more agreeable side of the team.

"Well, no matter what it is… Take care, and hopefully some time you'll change your mind about Serge." Elly said, giving her a sincere smile.

"I sincerely doubt the latter… but I appreciate it, and wish you well to you, and my wishes for Eric to make a healthy recovery." She glanced toLucy, Zed and Jake. "You three as well."

"It was nice to meet you, miss Ayame."

"Come back sometime, it was fun shit talking those two with you."

"Good luck in your future endeavors." With all the formalities done, and everyone having said goodbye to the Frogadier, she stood up, bowed formally and left the house, shutting the door behind her and into the dark of night. Only when she left and a few minutes passed, Serge let out a sigh of relief.

"Fuck, I thought she was going to rip my guts out then."

"Then why the hell did you call her a deformed blueberry?" Elly rubbed her muzzle bridge and sighed. "Honestly, the only reason I would've been annoyed with her at that point would be that I'd be cleaning up the mess she left behind, I would've hit you hard if that'd been directed to me."

"Sorry, but she really just pisses me off."

"You piss everyone off, and so did she to be perfectly honest. What's she fucking care about how we live our lives?" Lucy's attitude toward the water type changed drastically once she was gone. "Thought she was on the side of girls, then she just called me fucking lazy… And she was trying to change the way we do stuff… like seriously, why did she think that she was better than us?"

"Everything she said to compliment us was accompanied by a reprimand or critique. Though her intentions may have been pure… I must admit, she was somewhat aggravating."

"I dunno man… I don't think she was that bad, she didn't say anything that was a straight up lie."

"Except the part where she called me the scum of the earth?"

"Ok yeah maybe that part was a bit excessive." Nox's and Serge's quick exchange was mirrored by Zed and Lucy.

"Yeah she did not seem that bad… She wasn't lying either, me and Elly get stuck with most of the work around the house."

"Because she's got psychic powers, and it's trivial for her to clean stuff, and you are the only good cook in the house! I mean, do you want **me** to cook? Because I sure as h-"

"Alright alright, geez, I get it!" Zed lashed out against her, looking away and crossing his arms. "You don't have to shout at me, I'm just saying she wasn't exactly lying, and I didn't say that YOU have to cook… but I find it unfair that out of seven people in this house, there's only two of us that are doing all the housework!"

"Yeah well… umm…"

"You lot have no excuse whatsoever." Elly said, this time sounding firm. "I don't care if it was Ayame that brought it up. She's right, and from today onward, we're going to be taking turns to who gets to clean the house every week. As for cooking…"

"I enjoy cooking, but I can't do it every single day and night."

"I can help with that." Serge rose a wing. "I've provided for myself most of my life… granted I make only sandwiches, but I make some great sandwiches."

"I can confirm this." Nox chimed in. "I can also roast stuff, but that's about it."

"Precision is my forté, and you have told me time and time again that I make excellent pastries, and some of you like to cook with me as well, if anything so you can eat the pastries I deem "not ideal"." He glanced at all of them.

"Hey, in my defense, cookie dough is delicious." Was Nox's quick response.

"It is also extremely unhealthy and dangerous due to the potential of salmonella."

"A worthy price to pay if you ask me." Jake simply rolled his eyes while the Houndour smiled triumphally, deeming the fight lost. Most everyone in the house agreed with the fire type's statement anyways, even Elly had succumbed from time to time and taken a pawful of cookie dough Jake didn't want to use before he threw it away.

"Putting your paws in the cookie dough…" Zed shuddered. Seemed like he was the only one against the idea.

"Whelp." Serge slapped his wings together and stood up, groaning softly from his sudden movements. "Given how we're all in great shape and this conversation's just devolving into how unhealthy we all are and how much our bodies hate us, how about we give them what we want, and go to bed and hibernate until the next globe scaled crisis bef-" He was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Aaaah god damn it."

"Who could it be at this hour…" Zed muttered as he walked up to the door and opened it, revealing the Lucario on the other side.

"Good evening. I hope I am not intruding or otherwise interrupting anything."

"Oh, hey Ferrus! Come on in! We were just about to head to bed, but we can stay up just a bit longer." Elly greeted him as both he and Zed walked to the living room.

"It won't take long, I merely wanted to come around, check how things were here, and give a small update on what's happened so far." He took his seat in the only remaining armchair whilst Zed squeezed himself into the spot between Elly and Lucy on the couch. "Well, how is he?"

"Better, woke up earlier, but I put him to sleep straight away, since Chimecho said he should be sleeping and resting for the next few days. She said that his blood pressure was extremely low, but there were no external wounds, and didn't find any internal wounds either."

"Do you have any idea what could've caused it?" Elly shook her head. "Well, I suppose we'll find out eventually. Now as for that update… We have taken nearly all of the refugees to a village near the Giant's Forest. Remember the fortress that rose out of the ground?" Everyone but Nox nodded, remembering that large stone fortress and the battle that had taken place in front of it. "The fortress was demolished and torn down due to the bad state of the edification. A memorial was built in the back, and the front was mostly uneducated until just recently. Some wealthy business entrepreneurs from Johto came and built a village and a bathhouse over the natural hot spring that used to be there. I believe it's called Ran Village."

"I think we've passed by it a couple of times, but we never did go there… Looked like a quaint place from afar, but expensive as all hell." Serge shrugged as he said this. He'd never felt the obligation or interest to go there. "Anything else?"

"Tharmius and his men left shortly after the survivors were secured. He told me to give his regards to your team, and wish Eric a speedy recovery."

"God, doesn't even have to be here but he still sounds like a rightful cunt." The Pidgeot's comment got a few chuckles from a few pokémon in the team, but nothing else.

"Well, whatever the case, at least he's gone, and he'll be out of our furs for the time being."

"Not precisely." The Lucario interrupted Elly, making her glance his way in concern. "Before he left, he spoke with the mayor, Wigglytuff and Magnezone during a private reunion, and proposed taking his Judges over to this area of the continent to improve security." This news was met with alarm and disgust from all, but he rose a paw. "The motion still hasn't passed, and it's likely that it won't: The mayor was all for it, but Wigglytuff and Magnezone outright refused. The matter will be voted upon next month, after New Year's, so you still have time to sway opinions here and make sure they don't get any of their men near you."

"The last thing we need is to have them so close to home, where they might strike us at any moment."

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Elly was looking out the window as she said this, drawing an inquisitive look from the Sneasel. "That's what they want, they want to keep us close just in case something like that Rebscura pops up, and can go with the 'enemy of my enemy is my ally' card that they pulled this time. Plus, they'll most likely be able to control our every move better and set up spies more efficiently." She sighed. "Thanks for telling us all of this Ferrus."

"It's the least I can do after the great service you've provided today. Once again, I was reminded why you are the ones who brought Blake down four years ago, and with any luck, the rest of the world will have been reminded too."

"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing though?" Lucy was answered with silence. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see…"

"One thing's for sure though: tomorrow, I'm going to buy the papers first thing in the morning and read what they say. Let's see if what Ferrus said holds any water and we actually get some good rep for once." Serge stood up, stretching. "Anyways, imma go hit the hay now, been a long day, my entire body is sore, and I've got a hunch we won't be sleeping a whole lot tomorrow." What he meant with the last part no one knew, but they all agreed on being exhausted with the Pidgeot.

"Then I'll take my leave, if you don't mind. I will most likely stay in town for the remainder of the week. The countryside and the people in this town are just as tranquil as I remember."

"You should probably come live here, it'd do you wonders, with all the stress you're under." The Lucario shook his head at Zed's recommendation. "Then at the very least, come by every so often, you're always welcome here. I'll be more than happy to cook you something, and when Eric feels better, we'll probably throw a party to celebrate."

"I'm afraid I'll have t-"

"Oh nonsense." Elly cut in, standing up. "You work just as hard as we do, you deserve some downtime. I'm sure Eric will be up and at it in three or four days, so make sure you're still around then, and you can join us." Her words were more of an order than a suggestion, and the Lucario was clearly caught off-guard by her offer.

"I… will consider it then." A smile crept up on his muzzle, the prospect of some relaxation sounding just wonderful to him. "But I digress, I won't keep you up any longer." He bowed, and wished them all good night, before leaving the house, and leaving the team members to go up to their rooms. They weren't expecting any more visitors that night, so everyone went upstairs to their rooms, with Elly being the last as she drank some water and blew out all the candles. When she got upstairs, she'd find Eric still sleeping in the dimly lit room, the moonlight slipping through the blinds and guiding her way to his side, under the bedsheets, where she'd lightly hug him and plant kisses on his forehead, smiling as she nuzzled and went to sleep besides him. She was deep in sleep by the time that faint, deep green glow emanated from the chest where they kept their bedsheets and other pillows… and also a peculiar book.

* * *

The next day, the sound of incessant knocking downstairs stirred Serge out of his sleep, his feathers ruffled and messy, he stretched and yawned, having decided to go to bed immediately, not even considering to go get a lady friend to "accompany" him in the night. He slipped out of his straw bed, carefully descended the steps and unfolded the ladder on top of the trapdoor, slipping down to the hallway. He was going to get shouted at for leaving it open, but he was most likely going to go back to sleep the moment he figured out who was at the door. The longer and longer it went for, the harder and louder it got, the Pidgeot rushing down the steps to the main room and yawning. "Coming, coming…"

He grabbed the doorknob, twisted it, opened it… and was thrown back by the sheer amount of shouts, questions and squeals that came from outside, a literal large mob congregated in front of their house, waving the newspaper, praising them and losing their minds when he appeared. He would then promptly shut the door and rest his back against it, eyes wide open as plates. "Ummm… guys?!" He called everyone downstairs, making sure his shouts eclipsed those of the rabid fans outside. "We've got a situation!"

It didn't take long for everyone to come downstairs, except for Eric, who was still resting, and try to settle down the matter as they stepped outside. Nox wasn't used to this sort of attention, and couldn't help but pose a bit and show off, smiling and looking upright and at the others as he rose his head, while everyone else simply waved and returned the praise and thanks, and answering questions that some reporters made. "No, we didn't know of the Rebscura existence until it was brought to our knowledge that Evergreen had gone silent. We moved out as quickly as possible and took care of the threat."

"Eyewitnesses report that the creature was the size of a mountain! Is that correct?!"

"Hell yeah, it was massive, and we just eviscerated that thing, I even ripped out part of it! Like this!" Nox was definitely too excited for his own good, and replicated the move he'd done to get on top of the beast… The fire from his mouth began to seep and flow down his legs quickly, coiling around them as he jumped, then as he landed the fire blasted him upward, quite high, almost clearing their house… before he fell back down on the grass, groaning in pain. "Ow…"

"Yeah, it wasn't _that_ big, but it was pretty big. We managed to subdue it and deliver the final blow. Its remains have now long since disappeared."

"And what about Eric? There are rumors that he was terribly wounded! Is that why he is not here?"

"Ummm… Yes, he is fine, currently recovering." The moment Elly said that they were swarmed with requests to see him and meet him, get the exclusive on his state and what he had done during the fight. All of this ended up with the Eevee shouting and telling them to back off. "Nobody will be seeing him until he's recovered completely!" Her shouts didn't do anything to dissuade them, making her even angrier, though a comforting hand from Jake on her shoulder made it far easier to calm down. Serge stepped forward.

"I'll handle these guys and give them a bit of what they want… You guys go back inside and make breakfast." The Pidgeot turned to the ravenous reporters and began to speak and answer most questions, though some he outright ignored and even mocked for making an assumption or inquiry. Zed was more than glad to return inside, bright like a cherry, and quickly slipped into the kitchen to begin making some breakfast and take his mind off of what had just happened. Lucy went back in with him too, yawning as she stumbled into a cushion, tripped on it and just remained there, on the floor.

"Uuuugh… fucking hell, this is annoying. I just wanna sleeeeeeeeep…"

"Eh, I think it was cool!" Nox's confidence had recovered incredibly quickly after his recent mess-up, mostly because he seemed to know how to replicate that move, something that Eric would insist on later, no doubt. As things seemed to calm down outside however, a female's voice would be heard above everyone else, screeching almost, until eventually they heard Serge answering back, following into a back and forth as the female's voice grew louder and more familiar, a voice Elly, Zed and especially Lucy recognized.

"Oh you've got to be-"

"Woman, I am going to have to ask you to calm down a-"

"Where is she?! Where is my ingrate of a daughter?! How dare she not come when her poor father is on his dying bed?! Monster! She's a true monster!" She was making quite a scene, and the reporters were definitely taking note of this. Lucy, beyond angry, stepped out of the house to confront her parent, who was, like last time, screaming and losing her mind over how much of an awful daughter she was.

"Stop bitching out in public and get in the house if you want to talk!"

"Oh, there you are, finally come out of your hiding hole?!"

"No, just had more interesting and important things to do, like saving innocents and doing my job."

"Your job?! Your job is to come visit your family, specially when one of them is at death's door!" The reporters had gone silent, but nevertheless writing down everything they were saying. "How dare you ignore us at a time like this?!"

"Oh shut up, you're telling me that I need to ignore my job and obligations so I can go visit you leeches?! Piss off!"

"There's time for everything, and you've had my letter for the last two weeks! Plenty of time to come visit your poor father!" Lucy bit her lower lip. "How can you be so heartless, to abandon your parents in their old age and go away without even come pay a visit every so often! Abandoned us, that's what you did!"

"Shut up! If you want to discuss this, then come into the house! The only reason you're doing this is to make me look bad in front of everyone so you can drag me back to that shitville and start pushing your shit down my throat! I know you already and how much of a manipulative bitch you are Amalra, so go and shove it up your…"

"Amalra?! You don't even call me mother anymore, you ungrateful child?! I was the one who brought you to this world, and reared you! I fed you and took care of you, and this is how you repay all this?!"

"You're making me look like the bad guy here, how about you mention how you tried to pair me up with some ingrate asshole back home when I reached puberty, eh? You can't say that because it makes you look like the hypocritical bitch you are!" She let out another cry, bending forward and sobbing, the others unsure if she was faking her tears or not. At this point, the others were blushing with a mixture of shame and anger at the situation. Serge stepped in between the other pokémon and mother and daughter as the latter her bickering and shouting while the other cried, Elly and Zed grabbed Lucy and pulled her away, telling her to stop… Everything was a mess, and by the time everything cleared up, Amarla was just… walking away, sobbing and limping pathetically as she had some more pokémon following her and asking her more questions, answering them kindly, a sudden mood change that no one could ignore… but already, Elly could imagine how they were going to embellish and ruin that story.

"Lucy… what the hell is wrong with you?!" The moment they were alone, in the house, and closed the door and windows, the Eevee turned to the Shinx.

"With me?! What the hell did I do? Call her out for the manipulative bitch she is?!"

"Doing that in public, yes! Do you know what the papers are going to look like tomorrow? They are going to write about this, and your already decrepit relationship with their mother is going to be on the forefront."

"How is this my fault?! She would've literally gone to the post office and started talking about how much of a "terrible daughter" I am, as if she deserved the fucking mother of the year award! She's a selfish bitch, and I'm pretty sure she's just jealous that I got away from all that crap."

"If… I can…" Zed suddenly cut in between the two friends, his voice shaky. "Last time we went to your home they were a lot more… hospitable."

"Oh, what, you think they're going to start grilling me out in the open, in front of their friends, who are recognizing and praising me for actually doing shit despite being a girl in their stupid tribe? That was all just a god damn act, just so they could get through all that stuff and have to swallow their pride for the umpteenth time. In other words, they were faking the whooole thing… boy, if you'd heard what my dad had to say about you…"

"Alright alright, let's not delve into what could've been but in the end didn't happen, and focus on the matter of hand: she keeps talking about your father being at death's door, what is she talking about?"

"Who gives a shit." She dryly stated, walking away. "No seriously, who gives a shit! She's either lying her ass about it and pushing my dad to have a fucking clinical depression, or he's actually about to die, in which case, good for him, because at the very least he can go be macho man wherever the fuck he's heading."

"How can you… talk about your family like that?" Elly was flabbergasted, seeing her friend talking like that about her parents, as if they were nothing but dirt, while the Shinx laughed at her question.

"Why? Because I can barely consider them to be my family after the shit they've made me go through… I don't have a single good memory with them, let alone my mother, and as a result of them constantly shoving their shit down my throat and putting me in the middle of their arguments and disputes, I refuse to care at all about their current state and well being. Simply put: they're not my family, even if we have the same blood."

"But… I still don't think it's right for you to… ignore your dad like that."

"It's what he's earned himself with his constant need to just push his stuff onto me and my mother. Mostly my mother, which is the reason why she's just so bitter and jealous that I got away from their stupid traditions… oh fuck it, why am I even talking about this shit? I'm just gonna go upstairs and keep sleeping. She calls again tell her I'm gone!"

"Lucy, you're not walking away from this today, if your mother comes back and starts slandering everyone again it's going to be even harder to get the team to take off again."

"So? Not my prob-"

"It's our problem! Sad to say, your mother's become OUR problem now because she won't leave you alone, and if she's as terrible as you say she is, she's only going to become worse and worse, and I don't want to know to what lengths she'll go to get you to go visit your father!"

"And what do you want me to do then? I sure as hell have no plans to beat her up, if that's what you're going to suggest, and not even all the money in the world could shut her up effectively." It was then that Serge and Jake stepped back into the house, both of them utterly exhausted by the amount of talking and explaining they'd had to do.

"Holy shit, Lucy… fuck your mother." Serge's voice was muffled by his face falling on top of the cushion as he simply bellyflopped onto his favorite armchair, groaning, soon Nox was poking his side, trying to comment on how cool he'd looked while using that fire blast.

"Did she come back?"

"No." Jake responded to Elly's question in the Pidgeot's stead. "But all of those "reporters" wanted to know all of the details regarding Lucy's relationship with that Luxray, and whether or not what she'd said is true. We tried to convince them that we didn't know her but…"

"Pretty sure some are just going to follow Amalra back to wherever she's staying and get HER side of the story." Serge finished. "Geez, I know kiddo, you looked really cool doing that stuff yes…" He answered in a rather dismissive voice, which upset Nox. "Man, my head's about to explode…"

"If that's the case, then we need to stop her before she completely destroys what little good rep we just got."

"And how do you plan on doing that, if I may ask?" Lucy's inquiry was backed up with a shit-eating grin, as if she was above all this… though as she noticed the stern look on Elly's face that smile slowly disappeared, and went from neutral to a scowl. "No."

"Yes."

"No. Fuck no."

"Yes. Lucy you need t-"

"I'm NOT going to go!" She screamed back. "How many times do I have to say it: I don't owe them anything, they are not my family, and I don't give a Rattata's ass if he's about to kick the bucket, I'm not going to go see him, no matter how much she bitches and moans, and that's final!"

"And you're going to go because otherwise she won't leave us alone and will keep on bothering you until he dies, and at that point she'll be blaming you or us for not going to visit your father before he died!" Their back and forth went on for a few more minutes, but neither side was willing to budge, and Lucy eventually grew tired and ran up the stairs and to her room. "And there she goes, acting like she's a goddamn cub…" She let out a loud groan of annoyance and went to the kitchen, grabbing herself some chocolate to help her calm down.

Zed let out a long sigh, and looked at the stairs. On the one hand, he could understand her opinion, and how she just didn't want to deal with a family member… but on the other, things just couldn't be left the way they were. He silently went up the stairs and headed for their room, knocking on the door. "Lucy?" No response. "Lulu?" He used her nickname, and still got no response. "...I'm coming in." She didn't show any opposition to this as the Zorua slipped into the room. The window was open, and she was laying on the bed, facing away from the door.

She didn't stir as Zed closed the door and laid down besides her, wrapping his paws around her upper body and nuzzling her neck tenderly, attempting to get her to cheer up, or at the very least, calm down. They stayed like this for what felt like minutes, the Zorua feeling as if he was about to fall asleep, before Lucy spoke up. "I hate how this whole situation is making me look like the bad one…"

"You don't look like that to me… it's just that I feel the issue is a lot more complicated than you're letting on."

"I mean… it kinda is, but at the same time it isn't… I really, really can't stand my family. I've already dealt and bothered with them for far too long and I don't want to have anything to do with them. I just… don't want to, I left with you guys for a reason, and I've been around here because I enjoy being with you far more than being with them."

"Yes, but sometimes we have to deal with people we dislike… like yesterday, we had to put up with Tharmius and that lot to get through that mission… and yet from what we've heard, they were actually quite helpful."

"Zed, it's not the same. He's just… a fuckin' villain, meanwhile these guys are my family, related by blood and all that… I know it's not normal, but I'd like it if people got into my spot and understood that just because someone can be related to you by blood… well, they can still be a monster. Hell, I thought Elly, of all pokémon, would understand that…"

"Well, maybe she does, and that's why she's gotten like that." Zed pointed out and nuzzled her, hugging her tighter as she spoke about her woes. "And, I understand that to a certain point too, or at least I can imagine what it must feel like. Point is, out of anyone here, she knows just how important family is, and not the one that we are related to by blood, but unlike you, she doesn't have anything or anyone left."

"But can't she like, see how much of a god damn hassle these guys are? Can't she recognize that they are just as toxic?"

"Well… I don't know, maybe she does, but there's something else bothering her… you'd have to ask her yourself for that. Personally though, I would like it if you went to see your father." He said, the Shinx tensing up again, but he kept up his hug. "Not because I want you to humor her… but because you need to at least try. Through all of the wrongs and everything he's done, he's still your father, and being about to die, you need to tell him how you feel before he passes away."

"He already knows how I feel, and I still feel like this is all just a desperate attempt on my mother's part to drag me back up there and… do whatever she wants with me."

"How did you end your relationship with your father anyways? What happened?" He asked, legitimately concerned. "Can't you at least tell me that, as your mate?" However, she didn't answer back, shaking her head. Whatever it had been that had broken that family apart, it seemed to linger, to this very day. "Then… I promise you, that if you do go there to visit him, I'll go with you."

"You'll… what?" He gripped her paws as she turned around to face him.

"You heard me. I'll tag along, and make sure that whatever happens, it doesn't get you down too much or tie you to them again. I'm… interested in knowing them, how they really are. After all, I want to spend more time with you and… You're special to me, you know that already Lucy. So I want to go with you and help you with this experience and… with any luck, fix things."

She stayed silent as he spoke, and even after that she just looked around, sighing and closing her eyes… then began chuckling bitterly, and nuzzling him. "You're such a dumb mummy~"

"W-wha?" He blushed as she nuzzled his chest… in a very tender manner, very unlike her. She seemed to snap out of it too the moment he asked that, and returned to that neutral position.

"Well uh… what I mean is that you're a dumbass if you think that just because you're there it's going to make the whole situation better… But I guess it could improve it just slightly. They're going to be their own nasty, normal selves though so… don't go there thinking they're going to be all happy and bubbly like the last time you guys saw them."

"So then we're going? You're going to try?"

"I'm willing to try to try… That makes no sense, but you get what I mean." Her words made him chuckle and nuzzle her neck tenderly, smiling.

"Sure, sure… Well, let's just enjoy the rest of the morning and we'll go look for her later, ok? At least thirty minutes… I wanna be with you like this for a bit more." He hugged her even tighter, putting his rear legs around her body too, both of them really close, warm, and blushing slightly, sharing a cute, intimate moment.

It would be a full hour later, near lunchtime, when they went back downstairs again. Serge and Nox were snoozing away, recovering all their lost sleep, while Jake and Elly were playing chess and had two glasses of wine and some cheese between them. Seemed like the two had decided to play a little game and get a snack to cool down after what had happened earlier that day, though the Eevee didn't skip a beat, and once her friend came back down the stairs she rose up and approached her, putting the game on halt. "Hey…"

"Hey." They both looked at each other in complete silence for a few minutes. "Look, I know, this whole issue is messy and it makes the team look bad… and I guess me screeching at her in the middle of the street just makes it look uglier. Can't say I regret it, but I can see why you got so pissed off with me."

"No, it's alright. I don't understand why it is that you're this way with your mother, of all pokémon, and maybe it's just me being… well myself when it comes to family matters, so I'm going to try and not judge you anymore until I know the full picture. I know you're not going to share it with me however, because it's clearly something really personal… so the least I can do is support you." She sighed. "It's funny how I'm supposed to be your friend but I have to think about this stuff hard to realize how much pressure I'm pushing onto you."

"Oh come on, don't say that now. The only person at fault here is her, and we're going to go confront her right now… if she wants me to go see my old man, then I'll go see him, so she can leave us alone and I can at least say goodbye to my dad. As much of an asshole as he was, it's the least I can do to try and fix the situation with them. Zed's tagging along too, to try and make the whole situation as bearable as possible."

"Aaaah… Well, I'd love to come, but Eric is still in bed, and I need to check up on him. I hope you understand…" Lucy did understand and patted her friend's shoulder, and eventually ended up hugging it out with her. "We cool then?"

"Yeah, we cool." They both broke away, bumping paws with eachother, chuckling.

"Well… since I'm going to be gone for today, do you mind making lunch Elly? We want to go meet up with her as soon as possible, and we don't know when she'll want to leave, so…"

"Before you leave, maybe you should get something to eat then." The suggestion came from Jake, and the group nodded as they opted to eat some leftovers from the last day, lentils. The Zorua promising them all, including a newly awakened Serge and Nox,,l that the next day he'd cook something special. "I'm debating between grated pasta or stuffed onions."

"Why not both?" Came Nox's brilliant suggestion, supported by everyone… except the Zorua himself, who just glared at him tiredly.

"Because I'd be spending the entire morning in the kitchen, and you lot sure as hell are not going to be helpful." Serge, Nox and Lucy just shrugged, knowing that he was right, but Elly and Jake both offered to help him out. "Well, as long as you can follow my instructions then… I'll do it."

"Still, I don't think Eric will be able of eating anything strong for the next few days… Actually, I should make him something to eat." She didn't even finish eating before she got up, placed her plate beside the stove and began pulling out vegetables and berries, thinking about making him just a regular old soup. Nox was next to finish eating, and got up from the table without even cleaning his plate… which sparked Zed's anger.

"Nox, can you at least do something useful for me today, and actually clean your plate? Or, at the very least, take it to the sink?" The Houndour turned to him, about to complain, but the Zorua had leverage. "Do it or you're not getting grated pasta tomorrow." He knew just how much the Houndour loved grated dishes, unable to resist the smoky, strong taste of the layer of cheese crust that covered the pasta, usually macaroni. He groaned, grabbed the plate and placed it in the sink with a grimace, whilst Elly kept on cooking.

"Zed, Lucy, you can go look for Amarla now, Jake and I will clean up when we are done. When do you think you'll be back?"

"I'd like to say we'll be back this afternoon… but if we are going to go visit my dad, then I wouldn't expect us to be back until tomorrow morning." Elly came close and hugged both of them, wishing them good luck in whatever they were going to be put through, and after grabbing their crystal necklaces and scarves, they left the house.

* * *

A few minutes later, they'd found Amarla eating at Spinda's, silently sitting in the corner, looking at the entrance, expecting Lucy to come in. And she didn't disappoint. "Come to finally do what you have to?"

"Doing it because otherwise you won't leave us be… You can grill me all you want, I don't give a shit, but I'm not going to stand by and let you talk smack about my friends."

"Your 'friends'? Oh that's rich…" She glanced at the Zorua. "And why are you here?"

"He's tagging along. He's my mate, and I think he should see just what you guys are like." Amarla scoffed, glaring daggers at Zed. She'd met him back when the tribe was recruited for the battle in front of the fortress, but hadn't seen him since.

"Right, sure he is…" She didn't sound too convinced about something, but Zed decided to not press the issue, least he'd have to deal with this unpleasant woman. "Anyways, let's get going. There's supposed to be a carriage going to Voltaire leaving in five minutes, that will take us nearly there, then the rest we have to take on foot." She got up and walked past them, twice their size, glaring at her daughter and looking away with disdain in her eyes. Lucy returned the gaze with one of hatred, and while Amarla was walking up the steps, Zed placed a reassuring paw on his mate's back, trying to calm her down.

It did little to ease her, but it was enough to get on the carriage and ignore eachother's presence, an air of tension and awkwardness in the cabin, which was shared not only by them but many other pokémon. It seemed like Amarla wasn't in the mood to argue this time, and Lucy fell asleep not long after the ride began, her head leaning against Zed's right arm as he looked out the window, avoiding eye contact with the Luxray woman. "So, you're her 'mate', aren't you?" Amarla suddenly began, surprising Zed.

"I… uh… W-well, not mate, technically her boyfriend. We haven't made it official or anything…"

"Knowing her you definitely have made it official, but you just haven't declared it and decided to interpret it as what it is. Or rather, she doesn't want to." Was her somewhat cryptic response, but she was right about one thing: they had supposedly made it official, but she still refused to call him mate. "Ever asked her why that's the case?"

"I… well, I'd guess it's because she doesn't like being called that? I don't really ask that kind of stuff, because at the end of the day it's just a name. What we are interpreted as or what we call eachother doesn't matter as long as we know the truth."

"And what IS the truth, hmm?" Her interrogation continued. "Don't you think it's strange that she's so adamant about calling you her soulmate? That she's always treating you as someone special, but not the one person she cares about the most in the entire world?"

"Again, I don't care about those kinds of distinctions, and I don't think she does eit-."

"Nonsense. Being mates with someone else is a duty, it's a promise to stay by someone's side no matter what, and if she is actively running away from that, just as she does from everything and everyone else then…"

"I'd wager a guess that you don't have any idea what type of pokémon Lucy is." He would suddenly interrupt her, venom in his voice, the mood changing drastically as she was taken aback. "You've barely seen her in four years, then you come out of nowhere and start speaking as if you know her better than anybody else."

"I am her mother, I reared her, and have seen what she's truly like! If anything, you are the one who's being tricked here, little fox… that little wench there doesn't love anyone but herself."

"Shut up." His face became graver as she kept on speaking. "You do not know her. I can see why she can't stand or bother with you anymore, when all you do is look at her worse qualities."

"She's got…" Amarla began to speak again, but seeing the Zorua's grim look on his face, she simply sat back and looked out the window. "Fine… I tried to help you, Zed… one day, you will remember what I told you here, and you will regret ever meeting her." Whatever she was trying to do, it wasn't working, and Zed was now more convinced than ever before that Lucy's mother was truly as despicable as his girlfriend kept saying. She avoided looking at her and waited for the carriage to reach their destination, which felt like several hours.

By the time they reached the edge of the savannah, and then walked through the Amp Plains, the sun was setting as they reached the small canyon-like area, and entered the village. It was the exact same way he remembered it: buildings made out of clay, with straw roofs, or houses dug into the walls of the gray rock. The large circular building near the center seemed to be that arena Eric had been thrown into back when they'd first come there. Asides from that, there were no further signs of civilization or technological advancements. Lucy was getting looks everywhere she went, mostly of surprise or bewilderment to see her besides her mother once more.

Zed also noticed that, besides the extremely young cub that ran past them, not a single pokémon dared approach the trio. From Manectrics to Amparoses and other Luxrays, nobody wanted to acknowledge the group, and he was definitely certain it wasn't because he was an outsider: after all, he'd been there last time, and some must've recognized them, because he did, waved a hesitant paw their way, and they answered his gesture. "I don't know how you can say hello to them, these vipers…"

"They're a lot more pleasant than you are." Was Lucy's response, looking at her mate. "Not that much better though." Her mother ignored her insults and kept walking, ascending some steps as normal life resumed behind them. They kept ascending and, just as they were going to reach the highest level, where the biggest houses were, they took a left and headed straight into a moderately sized one, with a section outside with the straw roof, but it seemed to go deeper into the mountain. "Home sweet home…"

Amarla didn't reciprocate that comment and walked in, and so did Lucy and Zed. The inside was exactly the same as Lucy remembered it being, except a lot more decayed. Zed saw several patches of straw, which he assumed were chairs, cushions or beds… they seemed a little dirty, however. Aside from that, there was a firepit on the other corner of the room, some old wooden cupboards where he supposed was the food, and then three doors: the middle one was slightly ajar, and the inside was dark, dimly lit by a single candle, a rasp, heavy cough coming from within.

"Here we are… go in there, and talk with him. I'll go make dinner."

"I can h-"

"No man should be in the kitchen." Was her dry response to Zed, who just looked at her and stayed silent, then looked at Lucy walking into the dark room. He followed her inside, and slowly shut the door behind them. The air was… viced, to say the least, a foul smell in the air, the smell of death. Seemed like the Luxray hadn't been lying about this part… Lucy was already beside the bed and looking down at the figure underneath the sheets. As Zed walked to her side, he'd see an extremely old Luxray: his fur greyed out to the point of becoming almost white, hazel eyes almost snuffed out, no light behind them.

"Haah… Lucy… My sweet Lucy…" Zed could see something trembling under the sheets, assuming it was his paw, trying to reach up to her face to touch her, whilst she just stared at him, face one of pure disbelief, almost as if she was frozen in place. "I was scared I wouldn't be able to see you… again…"

"Dad… I'm sorry I didn't know I thought that mom was…"

"It's alright… I know you have more important things to do than come visit me…" He said, looking at Zed with a gentle, weak smile. It was the smile of someone who knew he was going to die, and wanted to leave this world with no regrets or sadness. A bitter smile that made him shudder. "You are… Zed?"

"Y-yes, mister…"

"Joshua…" He quickly looked away and began coughing violently, wheezing and running out of air, convulsing. "We didn't get to talk much last time… but I am glad to see you're still sticking by Lucy's side… she's a bit of a lively lady, isn't she?"

"You uh… could say that." Zed couldn't help but chuckle, alternating between looking at him and his mate, unsure if he should even be here in the first place… though when he shifted away, he would feel the intense grip of Lucy's paw closing around his own, shaking like a leaf. Something had her extremely upset, and he didn't know what it was.

"So… I-I don't know where to start, dad…"

"I know. There are many things I'd like to tell you… things that I'm sure would do nothing but hurt you or myself more than we have before… but at this point, I don't think it's worth it… none of it was ever worth it."

"Yeah… I agree." She silently looked at the ground.

"I just wish… you could've been a better father for you…"

"There were a lot of things you could've done to make it easier on yourself and me…" She was starting to get more worked up… but slowed down and breathed in deeply, coughing slightly on the air. "How long have you been here?"

"I don't know, I've lost count of the days… I can slowly feel the energy and will draining from my body, turning into dust and dying while I'm alive. Dying of old age… I can't say I'm surprised." It was around then that Zed noticed what was off about this conversation: they were talking about absolutely nothing. It was the same type of conversation one would have with someone they hadn't see in a long time, and that they didn't have a strong relationship with.

Their back and forth went on for a while before they both suddenly fell silent, having effectively run out of things to speak about, and yet they both had it at the tip of their tongues, both holding back, trying to make the other leave or burst already so that their response could be justified… and the one who gave in was Lucy herself. "I haven't forgiven you for what you did to him."

"Of course you haven't, neither has your mother… but I still stand by what I did." His coughing became more pronounced as his voice rose, the house trembling due to the grave tone.

"Even as you are about to pass away, you still won't forgive him for doing the only logical thing?"

"No, specially when he inspired you to do the same."

"Oh, excuse me for wanting to find my own life away from you and mom's issues, which you both seemed to be out to make my life just as miserable as your own."

"I'll have you know that… everything that has happened in this house has happened because of her… her and her alone!" He let out a howl of bitter regret, followed by loud coughing. Zed heard something outside smashing and breaking, followed by the sound of a door loudly smashing shut. "I was alone long before you left… because you were too busy focusing and arguing with your mother, and making my own life miserable…"

"None of this would've ever happened if you hadn't been so narrow minded and followed all of these clan rules!"

"The rules…" He coughed up even more violently than before, spitting out something black, which neither of the young pokémon knew what it was, but it smelled horrible. "The rules are the only thing holding this tribe together as it is… And they were made in the first place to avoid the pain you and your mother inflicted on me."

"How could they have possibly been made to avoid all this?! They were what… What…" She let out a scream of frustration, and became enraged. "Fuck you, and these stupid rules, pinning the blame on anyone but yourself! You're both to fucking blame for all the shit that happened in this house: your own life was miserable because you had it become miserable, because she had it become miserable, neither of you wanted to walk away from this whole thing and eachother, instead you stuck together, and kept filling up this house with the poison that lives within you! Because that's all you've been doing, for as long as I've known you, you've been doing nothing but spitting poison and making all of this insufferable!" The sight of a daughter screaming at her dying father was… a disturbing one, to say the least, and an uncomfortable one at most, so much so Zed was frozen in shock at what was unfolding before him, and Joshua trembled in his bed.

"...those are the same words he said… the day he left…" He let out a bitter chuckle. "I knew it, I knew that he'd gotten to you, and he was the reason you ran away." He looked at her. "Well, did you find him?" He taunted. "Did you chase after him and go find a better life with him? I bet you didn't… because I told you once… And I'll tell you aga-" His coughing was becoming more and more pronounced as the discussion kept going, and Zed's own instincts as a sort of doctor kicked in.

"Please, stop his coughing is…"

"I shan't… until I tell my daughter what my feelings are!" He shouted, drawing his strength from somewhere deep within: whether it was his bitter regret or hatred or something else, Zed didn't know, but he doubted there was any love left within that dried up, old body. "You are nothing… but a coward Lucy. You have done nothing but run away all your life, chasing after something that doesn't exist and isn't there for you… the world isn't there to welcome you with open arms and give you the chances you… so desperately want! It will crush and stomp you mercilessly, until you're forced to accept the bitterness of life… That freedom and decision away from it that your brother so desperately wanted… you'll never have it. Because you are both cowards, and have run away from everything and everyone in your lives… including eachother!"

"Shut up!" Her screech got him to stop speaking alright, and she knocked over the candle on the desk, which fell to the ground and splashed hot wax everywhere, though it was still burning on the ground, making the sudden change in lighting cast large, looming shadows in the ceiling above. "You are the one who abandoned him and me! It's all your fault! You forced him to run away from your bullshit… and you never even bothered to go find him! He did the only reasonable thing, which was to get away from all this… and I'm sure he's happier than either of you have ever been in your lives!"

"I think otherwise… If he's as happy as you are, then he will have failed to achieve what he set out to do…" He glared at Zed, then at her. "You call my relationship with your mother a joke… Your relationship with Zed isn't any better." This was the last straw for her, and did what Zed had thought unthinkable: she hit her bed ridden father with a paw, slamming it on his probably old and shrivelled arm, making him groan out in pain as she looked at him, tears in her eyes.

"I hate you!" Was the last thing she said before she stormed out of the room and the house, crying. Zed was left there, looking at the Luxray groaning and crying, unsure if it was because of the physical or the emotional pain of what Lucy had done… whatever the case, he soon fell silent, and sobbed softly. As he left, she heard him whisper something that made Zed feel infinitely small.

"And now… I die as I've lived." Zed went to look for Lucy, finding her at the foot of the steps. Thankfully, there was nobody nearby, and the Zorua could step down to her and sit besides her, hugging her. She tried to push him away at first, but eventually she gave up and accepted the hug, gripping his dark fur and burying her face into his chest, crying and sobbing as her heart ached, a knot in her stomach, having said and done what she had come there to do… only to find out it was infinitely more painful than she could've ever imagined.

* * *

By the time they came back, the door to Joshua's room was closed, the door on the left was half open, and inside Zed could see Amarla looking away and at the wall, completely still, the light of the candle flickering out. Lucy was in the right room, which she said had been her room and her brother's while they were young. Zed made some roasted berries and took them to their room, but she didn't eat any, no matter how hard he tried to convince her to eat something. "You should eat something you can't…"

"I'm not hungry." She said dryly, just sitting on the straw bed. It was much cleaner than the ones outside, at least there was that. He ate the bare minimum so that he wouldn't be starving when he woke up next morning, and laid down besides Lucy, still sitting and looking away from him, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, a gesture to the which she didn't respond, her gaze fixated on the candle next to their bed. She had him extremely worried at this point, unable to tell what was going through her mind, and was making him incredibly anxious, something she'd be able to tell by the way his grip on her hips tightened to the point of becoming mildly uncomfortable, nuzzling her lower back, trying to cheer her up or get her to acknowledge his affections and support.

He wouldn't get that, but she would at least start talking. "This was a bad idea. Coming here. Meeting them… it was all just a bad move."

"Lucy…"

"I knew this was the way things were going to go, I was trying so hard to at least keep it back, to say goodbye to him without starting one more argument, and just move on with my life… but I couldn't. Instead, I just come here, scream and hit an old man in his deathbed." She hid her face with her paws. "I'm pathetic."

"Don't beat yourself up so much… You said what you had to, what you felt was appropriate… had you waited for him to be dead, you would've never been able to tell him how you really felt against him."

"Yeah, now I just need to live with the fact that I told my dad that I hate him in his deathbed… I don't know which is worse to be honest." The Zorua bit his lower lip, sighing and laying back down besides her. "It's not like he didn't know it before, and it's like he doesn't deserve it either, I still hate him for what he's done and pinning me and my brother as the ones to blame… But it's just not right that I spit in his face and did what I did to him when he's so close to passing away." He didn't say anything, unsure of what he could even say to try and comfort her… If there was even a way to do that at this point.

"Well… what is it that happened? You never did tell me you had a brother." He tried to change the conversation topic slightly, and while that definitely made her tense up… she sighed, and looked at him, her emerald eyes slightly red from all the crying.

"Yeah… I do, or at least, I did… His name was Alastor. My older brother, my parent's first born and… kind of my only good role model when it came to me growing up." She laid down besides him, looking at the ceiling as he hugged her. "When I was born, as soon as I came out of the egg he was the first one to notice me, my mother was making lunch, and my dad was just… being himself, and looking intimidating out on the front porch and talking with his friends. I don't remember much from that day of course… but my brother was always complaining that the moment I came out of the egg, my parents started discussing even more than ever before."

"So when you said that ever since you were born they'd always been arguing…"

"I meant it. Still, my brother helped me out and made everything a lot easier to handle, always playing games with me, tag, running and helping me keep up with him… He was the one that taught just how liberating it can be to just… go for a run every so often, relax, look around, find a new spot you haven't seen before and just stay there for a bit, let your worries stay behind you and all that." She was getting slightly emotional just from thinking about him, tearing up slightly, wiping the tears from her cheek, a sentiment that Zed couldn't help but force a smile for.

"I'm guessing you loved him a lot."

"Yeah, and I still do, it's just that…" She sighed. "It happened when I was ten, one day, he told me something, pulled me away. I don't… remember what it was, but whatever it was made my mother and father the angriest I've ever seen them, screaming at eachother and him. I was scared, seeing all of this happen… then my brother got up, and said he was going for a run. I wanted to go along with him, but he said something that I'll never forget: 'I'll be running ahead, you catch up later.'"

"...And he left."

"Yep. Never came back after that, not the next day, or next week… by the time two weeks came around, my parents realized what had happened, and so did the rest of the village. We became outcasts, since it was frowned upon by everyone else that my parents effectively lost one of their children, and while they were underage too… And the bickering and arguing became less outward and frequent and was replaced by… this." She pointed to the opposite wall, to the rooms where her parents were. "I think that was the point where they just gave up on eachother. Any mention of my brother was enough to make me go for a night without dinner, and it made me a lot more averse to dealing with them, since they wouldn't stop talking about how much of a lowlife and coward my brother was… And all of the stuff you heard my dad say about him earlier."

"And what about your mother? What was it that strained your relationship so much with her?" He could understand now why she didn't get along with her father so much… but it felt like there was something missing to make the relationship between her and her daughter so toxic. To this, not even Lucy had the answer it seemed, as she shrugged dismissively.

"I don't know… she'd always been like that ever since I was born. After my brother was gone, she gave even less of a shit about me, and since I did… she started to become the way you've seen her. Just a massive attention whore and making herself look like she's the victim of this situation."

"That's… so unfair."

Lucy sighed and got closer to him, accepting his hugs finally. "What's done is done… Tomorrow, we're leaving and… I'll tell him, before I leave, that even with all that's happened, I don't want him to go away feeling so regretful, and I don't want to leave this place with the last words to my dad being that I hated him." She let out a long yawn, unable to hide the fact that she was exhausted, emotionally and physically drained.

"That sounds good. I know it hurt, and that it wasn't easy, and yes, it might've been a bad idea… But I'm sure this will be good in the long run, and you can move on and have a cleaner conscience." Lucy nodded, and nuzzled her mate, pecking his nuzzle.

"Yep. Anyways, I'm still tired, specially since we didn't get too much sleep last night, what with those god damn reporters… So yeah, let's just get some sleep, and tomorrow we'll go back home." Lucy seemed to be quite eager to leave… and Zed couldn't blame her. There was nothing left to do there for either of them, that much he had clear… so the sooner they left, the sooner they could move on, and the better for them. Still, as Zed blew the candle out and wished his girlfriend good night, he couldn't help but shake off a feeling of dread. All of this had hit close too close to home, had made him relive and remember some bad memories of his own family… He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, taking a page out of Lucy and her brother's philosophy, and trying to leave that in the past, where it belonged.

* * *

The next morning, the house was dead quiet when they both woke up, shook themselves out of bed and out to the rest of the house. Zed proposed cooking something to fully rouse them out of their sleep, whilst Lucy washed herself, and after waiting outside of her parent's rooms for them to come out, she would approach to knock on her mother's… she instead opted to go to her father's room first, wanting to be finished with this conversation so that she could get it out of the way faster, and give him a nice "good morning" along with it. She knocked on the door once.

"Hey, dad. Coming in." She said, walking inside, being greeted by that same foul smell from last night… only a bit worse. "Morning… Hey dad." She walked besides him, he was sleeping… very peacefully. "Dad. Hey, I wanted to say that… I'm sorry for what I said yester day… and… dad?" She shook him. He didn't respond.

"...Dad?"

* * *

"So he passed away while you slept?" Elly was sitting besides a weak Eric, sitting at the main dining table and drinking a hot bowl of soup slowly, still a bit pale, but regaining his colour. "And she didn't get to say anything to him… I'm so sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, it was bad timing… or perhaps his body and mind gave in after what she told him the previous day. I don't want to even suggest that, I don't know how she'd take it if she thought she…"

"No, it's just a stroke of bad luck. I'm sure that he knew how she felt about him, given how conflicted she was about the whole thing. She's got a lot on her mind, and I don't see her coming back with a smile on her face after all."

"Yeah… I don't think we'll be getting home anytime this morning. Lucy and her mother are… well, preparing everything for the burial, but from what I see…" He looked around. He was still in their house, a few pokémon from the tribe had come to pay their respects, but most, if not all, had left at that point. "They weren't exactly popular."

"That's so sad…" She sighed on the other side, Eric looking at her inquisitively, telling him to keep eating with her paw, to which he obliged. "I can't imagine what she must be going through right now. As much as I dislike that woman, it can't feel good to have a husband pass away and have nobody to lean on."

"I won't say anything on the matter… I don't think any of us understand the depths of what happened yesterday in that house… Look, we'll be home this afternoon, I don't think staying here any longer will do Lucy any good."

"Let her take all the time she needs. She's the one who lost her father after all." Elly could tell the Zorua was doubtful, even on the other side of the psychic conversation. "Don't push her, Zed. I know how conflicted you must feel right now, but you need to be an effort and be there for her, not push her in order to try and protect her."

"I know I know… I've got to go now. Don't worry, I won't force her to do something she doesn't want to, but I still don't think this is healthy at all. See you guys later. And give Eric a hug from my part." Lucy nodded and wished him the best before she stopped speaking, walking up to Eric and gently climbing onto his lap, the Riolu wrapping his right arm around her waist, as big as it was, and she wrapped her paws around his chest, which made it a bit harder for him to eat, but he didn't mind, as she nuzzled him tenderly.

"What's with the sudden affection?"

"What, do I need an excuse to hug my mate?" She teased, smiling as she nuzzled him again, the Riolu chuckling and eating a bit more. "Lucy's father passed away." He took one last spoonful and looked directly into her eyes, sighing as he hugged her closely.

"I can already guess who it is you're thinking about… c'mere, you." He hugged her a bit harder and pulled her into a legit hug which she kindly returned. "A family can never be perfect, we just need to try our hardest and make it as enjoyable as we can, but what's really important is that we all have to do something and work together. And from what I overheard… at least two of the pokémon in that family gave up long ago."

"Yeah, that much I gathered when meeting Amarla… can't help but think about them though." She nuzzled him closely, hugging him. "Oh, and Zed told me to give you a hug and wish you well, since he wasn't here." She then kissed him, smiling.

"I don't suppose that kiss was Lucy's way to wish me well?"

"No, that was mine, silly~" She kissed him again, helping him eat and recover, appreciating her relationship with Eric a lot more after hearing what had happened.

* * *

"...may his soul join those of our ancestors in the great plains above." The sermon ended, and the grave was finished. The graveyard was mostly empty, the occasional electric type pacing around and visiting a grave or two. Zed noted they were rather crude, some of them wooden, like Joshua's, other stone, but not many looked as well made or appreciative as the ones in the graveyard near Treasure Town. Still, it was as overwhelming a place, and was gripping his mate's paw, patting her back as she quietly sobbed, trying to help her through this. They, along with Amarla, who was watching at the mound in silence, were the only ones that had been there to see the burial. The pokémon who had come to oversee the process, the chief's right hand man, left shortly after, leaving the family to deal with the crushing feeling of loneliness that weighted above them.

It wasn't after nearly ten minutes passed of that complete silence, that Lucy spoke up. "I'm leaving, mother." She finally called her that, though Zed wasn't too sure if it was a mark of affection, or if it was something she'd done unintentionally.

"Done what you came for, haven't you… hurting your father one last time before he passed away, and now you want to leave me."

"I've had enough of you." She spat back, fed up with everything and everyone. "I didn't want things to end like this… and you knew they would, you knew what would happen if I came, and you were the one who lead to him…"

"You killed him, Lucy." She merely muttered this, and Lucy fell silent after that, looking at the ground in a mixture of despair and shame. Zed gripped her paw, prompting her to look at him, and shook his head. She knew who it was that loved her, who really cared about her, and who supported her at all times… and it wasn't her mother. No, it was Zed, looking at her honesty and telling her to move on… and she would. She had other things to do now than argue with her mother. With a sigh, and one nuzzle, she turned to her mother, and spoke.

"He was dead by the time I got here. And so are you. You poisoned each other and killed each other long before I came here and said what I said… Goodbye." And with that, she turned around, and left, Zed walking besides her. Contrary to what they thought, Amarla didn't respond, or say anything, just stared at her husband's grave, an unreadable expression on her face. As they were leaving the graveyard however, they came across another Luxray: big, and old, nearing his last days, fur turning to a gray tone. He looked down at Lucy, and she looked up at him, the two of them exchanging a long look, frozen in place.

"You are… Lucy Kishida, right?" He asked politely, to which she nodded slowly. "I'm looking for Amarla, your mother… I heard of the news of your father's passing and wished to come visit and… pay my respects." Lucy looked at him, confused. She had never seen this pokémon in her life…

"You knew my parents?"

"Yes, I am a friend of the family… I assume they never told you about me." She shook her head. At this point though, she didn't really care if he was lying or not, and instead just pointed him to where her mother was. She'd turned to face them, and was looking at the Luxray silently. What was happening between them, Zed couldn't guess, their gazes so complex and loaded with emotion, spiralling and twisting for just a moment.

"Who are you?" Lucy asked, noticing this, confused as to what this mysterious pokémon had to do with her mother and father… he only turned to look at her and shook his head.

"Someone who has inflicted much pain upon your family… If you'll excuse me." He bowed respectfully and left to meet Amarla, the two looking at each other closely, then looking to Joshua's grave, speaking softly. Lucy watched from afar… something about the image made her feel conflicted and strange, and she didn't know what. The Luxray was normal, for the most part, and she hadn't seen him in her entire life… so why did he feel so familiar to her either way? Was it because of his tail? It had a three pointed star, like her own… but she'd never seen him, and as far as she'd been told it the three pointed star was a random quality, and not much else.

"Come on, let's go." She hurried the Zorua. She reminded herself of what she'd told Amarla, and had every intention of following through with it: from that day on, her family was dead to her.

Oh, how wrong she was.

* * *

 **I'm pretty sure that this chapter may have roused some uncomfortable feelings in some. This was, in part, my intention, but I formally apologized if at some point I crossed a line or offended someone. My intention was to, as I said, bring forth this ugly side of a family's relationship, an integral part to Lucy's character, and not to offend or hurt any sensibilities.**

 **But I digress, this chapter end note is going to be a tad shorter than normal, but I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the intermission that came out with it!**

 **See ya!**


	14. Life - 3 A

_**Life**_

 _ **Flesh, bone and blood. The basis for most, if not all of life on the most understandable level of course. There are things that make it up beneath it, of course, but they aren't… alive. Carbon isn't alive. Oxygen isn't alive. But cells are. We are made out of things that are alive, which in turn are made out of things that aren't. What are we then? Are we a walking mass, a legion of barely sentient or outsight unaware beings, or just a bunch of minerals and proteins that are about to fall apart at any moment? We could be both, or neither, such is the mystery of life, and what it is made of and comes from.**_

 _ **The only thing we know for certain about life, is that we die. Sounds depressing, but it is true, and to many, that finality, that sense of running out of time and limit to the amount of things they can experience is enough motivation to end it prematurely, or to enjoy it to the fullest. It's bizarre how people react to life: how some treasure it, and others don't; specially when you consider that we all share the same world, same basic needs… Why are some lives more valuable than others, then? Is it just another sign of the never ending hypocrisy of sentient beings, who enjoy such wonderful gifts, yet bear terrible curses? Are we free to do what we want with our lives? Is there an inherent meaning, a grand design of fate? It's not unlikely… after all, we are only truly aware that we are alive when we realize what is inevitable.**_

Come next morning, Aiolos is still there, and it keeps happening every single day, again and again. He's still here. He's still staying in my apartment, where I've been slowly and surely wasting away for the past four years, and the only thing I can think of is the fact that I am illegally holding a pokémon with me, which barely nobody knows about, much less my neighbours, and I couldn't even feed him properly. Could he even eat chinese food? He didn't seem to be sick, and he'd been eating the stuff for the last six days. I am not going to lie and say I don't care about the poor thing, I'd feel terrible if I ended getting him sick or worse due to my carelessness… but again, what I supposed to do? I buy some pokesnacks people'll get suspicious, and then I'll have the cops up in my business. I'm already short on money as is…

All of these things and more are what go through my head as I lay shirtless on my couch. It's a sunday, ok? Leave me alone. Besides, I'm trying my hardest to make these entries as less sarcastic and scorny as I can. Reading back on the last one, I sounded like an insufferable snob, which I'm not, I'm just a clinically depressed young adult with absolutely no prospects in life that lives off of mexican food and chinese takeout. And now I have another mouth to feed, and a pokémon's no less… God what was I thinking.

I sit up from my position and sigh, putting my shirt and jacket on, looking at Aiolos. "Going for a walk to get lunch. Do you want something specifically?" He knew very well what we were eating, so he looked up, patting his legs together as he looked at me, smiling and raising a paw.

"Roll! Roll!"

"2 Spring Rolls?" I made the motion of him eating them like a sandwich, to which he nodded. "Gotcha." I smiled and left the house, locking the door behind me to make sure he didn't go anywhere I didn't know. Still, not even two steps down when I heard a door swinging open behind me.

"Hey, you! Kiddo!" I turned around, lo and behold, it's my neighbour, Brandon, a middle aged man, a real piece of work he is. Divorced his wife and moved to the appartment next door. He's not a bad guy, but he ain't exactly an upstanding citizen either. We mostly ignore eachother's existence… except for whenever he catches me about to leave my house.

"Oh, hey Brandon. The usual?"

"Yeah." Out from behind him walked a medium sized Mightyena, raising my head to greet her. "Just walk Nana around for a bit, will ya? Kinda busy with something. I'll give ya extra today if you take her to the park or something." I rose a hand nodded, giving him my promise as the Mightyena caught up to me on the stairs, and the man closed his door.

I didn't say anything until we were at the latter landing. "So, how's the week been?"

"Some more self pity, but at the very least he's trying to find a job and get his life back together... He's seen better days, all in all." The Mightyena answered shortly. She and I were good friends: I took her out for a walk and she can do anything she wants, I get paid and have a partner to talk to. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" I could feel her sly look, glancing up at my face. "Just the usual really, been a decent week at work, the other day the database crashed and they asked me to fix it, so I felt actually accomplished for once!" 

"Mmmmhmmm?" She hummed, looking up at me smugly. "Well I don't know about you, but I can smell a new smell on you~ It smells… young and innocent, and full of spirit~" She was a real tease, and talking in hums and giggles.

"Nana, where are you going with this…" We reached the bottom floor and I opened the door for her, letting her outside as we walked together. I didn't have a leash or any of the sort, so we had to be careful and avoid running into the cops, or they could fine me and Brandon. "I don't want you to get any weird ideas, it's just… a new shampoo that I'm trying out." Smooth.

"And what's the name of this shampoo?"

"Umm… Jeau d'or." I just made that up. I suck at writing and imagining things, I told you.

"Oh, really? Well, we use the same shampoo and it doesn't smell like anything like that. In fact… it smells like tauros shit."

"First of all, ew."

"You know I didn't mean it literally. Now out with it." She insisted. I didn't want to spill the beans… but her being a pokémon, and a pretty smart one too, I decided to tell her.

"Right… so a week ago, while taking a walk, I ran across a Riolu being attacked out in the forest."

"Wait… you took in a wild pokémon?" I nodded. "Are you nuts?! You're not a trainer, and you don't even have a license to…"

"I know, I know… but I couldn't just leave him there, he was being attacked by a pack of Mightyena, this being the reason I didn't ask for your help earlier… and the poor thing is like, three years old."

"Three years… and what about its parents?" I shook my head. "I see… Well, it could be worse, he could be older, or bigger, a Riolu is much easier to handle and hide."

"What." I stopped and looked at her, as she kept walking for a bit. "You think I'm going to be taking care of the little squirt? You shitting me?"

"What, do you to give him away to some heartless trainer that will use him for those barbaric fights, or shove him in a daycare or to be experimented on? Aura handling pokémon are pretty sought after for those reasons."

"Yeah, well the alternative is him staying with a guy that couldn't even take proper care of a fucking goldfish!" I wasn't too keen on the idea of taking him in, I wanted her to know that before she thought of sicing the poor kid on me. "Besides, so far I've been feeding him chinese food, and I don't know if he can eat that or not."

"Well, you better step up your pokémon caring skills, because that Riolu is your responsability… And yes, he can eat chinese food, but if he's really that young you should find him something healthier to eat, like berries."

"So stay away from pokesnacks?"

"Yes, of course! Those are the pokémon equivalent of chocolates! They're absolutely terrible, and make us insanely fat."

"You don't think that's because you barely go out for a walk?" She glared at me, and I just crossed my arms behind my neck, smiling. "Zing!"

"Whatever… point is, we can't take care of another pokémon, Brandon only has license for one pokémon, me, and you…"

"I don't have the money to pay for a license, Nana."

"You have one, you went through secondary, right? You only need a degree that proves that, show it to them at the town hall and they'll give you your license for only one pokémon."

"And then what, I have to buy it specific food so it grows up alright, doesn't get sick, probably go to the doctor's every so often to check up on him, get a pokéball, which are already expensive enough for me and… you see where this is going?"

"To me it sounds like you really don't want to take care of him and don't give a damn about what happens to him." Her reply was cold, and fell silent after that, not pushing the issue any further. On one hand, I was glad she stopped, on the other, I did feel just the tiniest bit of remorse creeping up. "You humans… you are all the same."

"Oh not this again…"

"You don't care about us anymore, never have. We were always animals to you, nothing but pets with super powers that you could throw into fights and get some money out of us hurting each other. At least back then there used to be people who preferred to stand by our side and not treat us like animals." She went on a short rant to express her distaste for the situation, while I looked around, trying to avoid her gaze.

We were in the middle of the park, and if she wasn't driving the point across, then everything else I saw was: to our right, there was a fight going on, a Blaziken and a Marill were duking it out, throwing flames and jets of water, with a wide circle like arena around them, outside of which was everyone else was looking at the fight from a safe distance. All around us, there were many trainers with their pokémon, all of them with pokeballs around their belts, none of them talking or even considering to look at them, some didn't even have them out of their pokeballs in the first place. Humans talking with humans, pokémon sometimes talking with others of their kin, no interaction between the two races.

We stopped next to a bin and let her go off to do her things while I kept looking, turning to the ground. There were some pidgeys pecking the ground in front of me, eating tiny breadcrumbs that someone else had thrown them. "Do you lot ever consider that the hand that feeds you is the hand that enslaves you?" I suddenly cut in, interrupting their little feast and conversation. They looked at me, puzzled, and quickly flew away, sighing as I laid back and looked in front. There was a couple in front of me, no pokémon around them, but their kid did have one, a Growlithe, who he was petting and playing with. The young pup was none the wiser either, and I am not one to judge if he actually valued his companion's friendship… but he most likely wouldn't think of him as anything more than a pet, given I couldn't see its parents, most likely in their pokeballs.

Feeling sickened, I look up, and even there I can't escape the constant barrage of injustice that befalls the pokémon, staring right at a sign numbering certain rules to take place within the park:

 _1\. Always have your pokéball and leash with you.  
2\. Clean up after your pokémon or pet after it is done._

 _3\. Battles only take place within the designated areas._

 _4\. No pokémon or animals allowed near the children._

All of these laws were accompanied by simple boxes with symbols in them to get the message across. If there was anything that could make your pokémon feel even more degraded, it was probably those four laws, as if they weren't able to discern where they can or can't do their business, or that they shouldn't attack human children or pokémon children… I closed my eyes and huffed, a knot in my throat as I think about Aiolos and what he must be doing now at home… alone…

"Uuuugh, this is the worst fucking thing…" I hold my head in my hands and rub my eyes, lowering them and spotting Nana in front of me. She hopped on the bench and sat besides me, quite a rare sight all things considered.

"I see that you're having just a bit of remorse."

"Oh shove it. You know why I keep insisting I don't want to take care of the little guy: I'm not a good caretaker. Can barely take care of myself, let alone someone else, specially so young. I mean, for crying out loud for the first five days I've been feeding him nothing but chinese food, and I didn't even know if he could eat that stuff."

"So that's the crux of the issue? You don't trust yourself enough to do it?" She knew exactly where to press me. "You don't think that you have what it takes to take after another life?"

"You're making it sound as if I'm about to become a father."

"In a sense, you are." She came out, surprising me. "You have to take care of him, educate him, feed him… It's like having a kid, or the closest thing to it. You could say it's very similar to taking in a pet, but unlike an animal, this one is very much sentient and can talk with you… which probably puts-" She stopped talking as a dog walked by, a german shepherd, sniffing and growling in her direction as he tugged on his owner's leash, but was eventually taken away, leaving her slightly flushed. "Things, into perspective."

"Yeah, I get that." I was holding back a laugh from seeing that interaction. "Only makes it even harder for me to accept: Do I look like a guy that would make a good dad?" I asked honestly, unsure of what her answer would be.

"Right now, when you got out to the street disheveled, without even combing your hair, and looking like you haven't seen the light of the sun in several days… no. But I've seen you in better moments, specially when things turn south."

"Eh, you don't mean that… Honestly, when I first came here, thought I'd have better chances in the big city, I'd have better chances to find a place to belong, or have a better life… guess it wasn't the case. The only thing I've found is a shitty job, mediocre people and pokémon here are worse off than they ever were back home. Been seriously considering going back and just forgetting about everything."

"Well, if you ever did, you could take Aiolos back with you."

"Now ain't that an idea… If I did that though, it's not like I'd have anyone waiting for me. All the friends I have back there I left behind for a reason. This was supposed to be my spiritual trip of sorts, try to find something new… Which I did, and it turned out to be worse. Going back now would mean taking away and leaving behind even more stuff, and going to the countryside… I'm not sure if that'll be better or worse for the poor kid. Seriously, you're better off taking care of him."

"Even if I'm a Mightyena, which are the species that attacked him in the first place?" I fell silent. "Did you at least try to look for his parents?" I shook my head in response. Something in my gut told me that an extensive search wouldn't have yielded any results. "Why? They could be around where you found him in the forest."

"Well… there's one detail I haven't mentioned yet." I looked around. "Let's go somewhere a bit more private." She was puzzled when I said this, but rose up anyways, and followed me. Not a lot of places you can take someone that would consider as even remotely private in a public park, but the small pond seemed to have no one around it, save for the original magikarp. I looked at her and simply moved my lips, telling her of what I had found on the back of his paw.

"What?!" Her reaction was instant, and I rushed to silence her. "Yes. He has that."

"But… he's a pokémon! How does that…"

"I don't know how it happened, or what it implies… but it's definitely something huge. That mark's always bad news, no matter where it is, and to see it on one of you guys… it's even more troubling."

"What could Yggdrasil want with a poor Riolu anyways?" I shrugged. Those guys were bad news, period. "Wait… is that why you wanted to sic him on us? So you can get rid of whatever connection he has with them?!"

"No no no, honestly, if they find him in your apartment or mine, doesn't matter, whole block is going to be questioned. We need to avoid drawing any attention from elementals… I'm going to start working on hiding that mark as best as I can, first and foremost."

"So you can cover your ass?"

"Yes, but also for his own sake." Her ears perked up.

"So you are going to take care of him?"

"For a bit, when he's old enough to fight, he'll be flying the coop."

"What? What do you mean "old enough to fight?" Pokémon don't just instantly learn how to fight, they're taught! Those discs you humans like to throw around are just glorified training videos that your force us to sit in front of for hours so we learn how to use them!"

"Wait… really?"

"Yeah! It's a rip-off!" She laughed, while I just sat back, looking shocked. "Either way, I don't see you as a trainer who would… you know, train him and teach him how to fight. I've never seen you life a finger."

"Well, I'll have you know I did martial arts for a while. I dropped out because I didn't really fit in with the others… never have after all." I leaned back, and crossed a leg on top of the other. "Funny."

"What is?"

"We've done this a hundred times almost, but it's always strange that we are a human and a pokémon, completely different, even opposed species, and just having a normal conversation."

"Well, that's the issue: it's weird, it really, really shouldn't be. Granted, I haven't met any other human who can understand and talk with pokémon like you can… but it's people like you that bring me hope." She sighed. "If only you weren't such a lazy asshole."

"Hey! Rude! True, but still rude!" I complained, earning a chuckle from the old canine. We talked for a few more minutes, then started to move before we got too many weird looks from passerbies. Since we were still outside, I decided to go buy food for myself and Aiolos, and had Nana tag along. "Might as well, y'know? You're already with me. More walking never hurt anyone."

"Yeah, I suppose that's true… and I can make sure you buy berries for Aiolos."

"Not gonna buy those, too expensive."

"Oh you WILL buy him berries. Last thing I want is for him to get fat, like you are!"

"I'm not fat!" I stood still and grabbed my slightly protruding belly… sure, I wasn't in tip top shape, but I wasn't exactly fat either! She wasn't convinced either, and growled as she swayed me from going to the chinese restaurant and pushing me to the restaurant.

"Get in there, and buy and cook him some proper food for once, you lazy human!" I wasn't about to start arguing with her: deep down, I knew she was right, nobody could live off of solely badly made chinese food, not even I did, so I decided to change the angle of the situation, and looked for healthier things: chicken was the easiest and healthiest meat, slices of swordfish, a few lemons, broccoli… some soy sauce and curry too. I got those berries that Nana insisted on so much… and before I knew it I was already way over budget. I returned the fish and left with what'd just bought, finding Nana curled up and standing watch near the entrance. "That's it?"

"Yeah, what do you think I am, some sort of millionare?"

"Wow, they really don't give you that much."

"It all gets sucked up by the rent. I'm probably going to have to ask for a longer shift…"

"That's not good, that means you will barely be there to watch over Aiolos." Nana's observation was exactly what I'd been wanting to avoid… ironically enough, I needed to work more time than before when I should instead spend more time at home.

"I'll figure something out." Was my answer, already regretting this decision on quite an alarming amount of levels. It was already an unpleasant experience, having to go to work in the afternoon, dealing with all their crap… but I needed double the money now, perhaps more. Regardless, we started to head back home, passing through the heart of the city, as always, crammed with people on the sidewalk and cars going up and down, beeping and loud blaring noises.

Among all of these we came across what looked like a congregation, and a quick peek into the mob would reveal a pokémon fight going down there, a Mr. Mime and a Larvitar fighting and tackling each other while they were cheered on by the humans around them. Not a single pokémon was watching this happening, and as me and Nana passed by I could feel her growing more and more uncomfortable. She didn't like fighting, she'd always been a companion pokémon. A pet, almost, but she'd been treated with some respect, which she couldn't complain about. As we walked by however, the sound of a siren blaring would stop the fight, and all of us would look at the road, where a cop was already rushing out of the car. The mob scattered in seconds, mostly made up of teenagers as the pokémon were engulfed in red lights and returned to their pokeballs.

Nana and I got a move on, since I didn't have her ball and it was illegal to have a pokémon without one, turning left in an alleyway and making our way to the older part of the city, where we lived. As we walked out, we passed in front of a temple, glancing up and seeing that same pattern that Aiolos had on the back of his paw: the star, and the ten circles. Yggdrasil. "What do you have in common with these people kiddo…" I muttered in a low voice, Nana glancing up and looking at the emblem as well.

We finally reached home and went up the stairs. First and foremost, I knocked on Brandon's door, and once he opened it he thanked me, gave me twenty bucks, and I said goodbye to Nana. Her response, which sounded like a bark to Brandon, was actually a "Don't forget to call me if there's any trouble", to which I smiled and walked over to my apartment, opening the door and slipping in.

Aiolos was on the couch, on his back, in a position not unlike the one I'd been in before I'd left, but unlike me, he was peacefully sleeping, and looked kinda cute while he was there. I took care to not wake him up as I slipped around and to the small kitchen. It'd been ages since I'd last used it, so I washed everything, then got to cooking. The little guy must've smelled the soy sauce or curry, because not long after I started, I felt something tugging on my trousers, looking down and finding him staring up at me with that cute innocent face of his. "Hey, little guy. I had a chance of plans, and I decided to cook us something today… a bit healthier, at least. I also bought you some berries." I pointed to the berry bag I'd placed on the counter. "So go nuts!"

Aiolos' face was one of pure glee when he heard there were berries, and quickly attempted to climb up the counter, gripping the handles of the cupboards… before he slipped and fell down on his butt, sobbing quietly. I rolled my eyes and lowered the bag to him. It was a mixture of berries, and they weren't fresh… but the little guy didn't care, he started eating them, specially the Oran Berries, which I guessed were his favorites. "Heeey, so you like Oran Berries eh?" I asked, reaching down to grab and eat one Pecha berry. Tasted just like a peach, but not as sweet, the Riolu smiling and clapping his paws together. And just for that smile, I would try to make sure to work that full shift and get all the money I could.

Because at the very least, he deserved a decent life.

 _ **O accursed one,**_

 _ **born of body and soul,**_


	15. Chapter 11 - Strength

**Oh. Oh shit. Oh what year is it? Oh fuck oh shit oh fuck, oh no how long have I slept? How long has it been since the last chapter?! I was so caught up in school stuff and exams that I lost track of time! Is there anyone still there? I hope so… please, someone, show signs of life! *looks outside, sees that everyone and everything is gone***

 **NOOO, I SLEPT TOO LONG!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 11**_

 _ **Strength**_

 **An unstoppable force meets an immovable object**

Zed and Lucy would come back to Treasure Town later that day, arriving at home near the afternoon. The Shinx was greeted with hugs and shows of affection from her friends, which she greatly appreciated, and even though Zed proposed he cook something for her, she said she wasn't really hungry that night either. They all tried to convince her to eat, and eventually she conceded to have some soup, much like Eric had earlier that day, then promptly headed to bed with her mate following her. There was no special dinner that night, and they resorted to just going to grab some food from Spinda's.

"Kinda bullshit if you ask me…"

"Kiddo, I don't exactly like the idea, since I'd already thought that we were dining like kings tonight, but I'm not being insensitive. Lucy's father died tonight, she is definitely not in the mood for anything, from what I've heard, and consequently neither is Zed. And Zed, if you remember, is the one who was going to cook that meal. Besides, he said he'd do it some other time."

"Yeah, I know, I know." He sighed. "It's not like I wanted to sound insensitive, as much of an asshole as Lucy can be, seeing her devastated like that was shocking."

"I would think, for the better of your health, that that pun wasn't intended." Jake chimed in from behind them, the trio having been chosen to go get the food while Elly watched over everyone back home.

"Yeah, of course it was. He's not THAT good with language."

"Oi."

"Indeed. Regardless, yes it was a surprising turn of events. If my understanding of the situation is correct, his passing came at the worst possible time for her. A shame."

"Surprising to hear you say that, of all pokémon." Serge's went ignored by Jake, who simply rolled his eyes and kept walking in silence. They picked up the food, some stuffed eggplants, and not much else, since they were only four people eating a strong dinner that night. Once everyone was done and everything was cleaned up, Elly sat down on the couch and sighed, thinking about going to sleep soon. Her chess game with Jake had remained unfinished, since the Sneasel had retired to continue with some kind of private project, which he'd been hard at work on for the last few weeks. It seemed that he was ready to show it too, since he came down the stairs with a large paper, which he spread in the middle of the room, calling everyone over.

"What's going on?"

"Is this what you've been working on these past few weeks?" Elly asked as he unfolded the first paper: a highly detailed, schematic drawing of the first Rebscura they'd fought, the one up in the mountains, would look back at them. Everyone had unpleasant memories, most of all Jake, who seemed… quite driven, eyes wide open.

"I have been trying to exorcise my demons by drawing this shape. I can remember with fidelity every detail of its structure, and what it did." There were notes and arrows pointing and defining certain areas of the creature, covered and uncovered in ice, the storm that preceded it and it used to kill targets. This, added upon its ability to mimic and return many kinds of energy back or store them, as well as high learning capability had earned it the name "Hunter", which loomed above the creature like an omen. It was quite unsettling.

"How… Dude, are you still having nightmares?" He didn't answer Serge's question, and instead kept guiding them through what were the abilities of the monster.

"I have also begun working on the next…" He brought out a second paper: on it, they could see the last Rebscura they'd fought. The thing that drew the most attention was the name: Parasite. Moreover, while the first version, with the bud closed, and the second, with the bud open, were mostly finished and drafted, there seemed to be other versions. "I am still working on remembering the mutations it underwent during the fight… I have been thinking of grabbing the notes we obtained from the other world and from the human Eric to redact information about other Rebscura, the ones they'd referred to as 'lesser'."

They all observed his work. "It's… really impressive. These are very well made, and I'm sure they'd be useful. But… Why are you making them?" Elly inquired, worried about the Sneasel's mental state. "Have you been staying up late again?"

"...Yes. It is difficult to sleep, as I simply have so much to read…"

"Or rather you don't want to sleep." She sighed. "Jake, I already told you: if you want to talk about it, I'm here for you." The Sneasel bit his lower lip, looking at Serge and Nox. The Pidgeot rose his wings.

"I'm fine with going to bed, I'm dead tired, and apparently I have the first town shift tomorrow, so I'm getting to bed." Serge went upstairs to his room, and soon after Nox did too, claiming he was tired and not in a great mood. With Elly and Jake gone, she told him to lay down on the couch, which he did, and she sat besides him on the armchair.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Your nightmares, Jake. I know you love staying up late and reading, but you haven't drawn something like that ever before, and you seem to be obsessed with it."

"It is merely for research. I do not feel tired."

"Jake, don't lie to me, or to anyone." She responded sternly. "I want to help you. This is not healthy, and you know it." He didn't answer immediately. "Just, talk with me, tell me what it is that is keeping you up at night."

He closed his eyes, and breathed calmly. "Very well… Though I have my doubts that you will be able to aid me. For starters, the issue I have is, in part, the terrible nightmares that I have been experiencing, no doubt the aftermath of the near-death experience at the hands of the Hunter."

Elly nodded. "Yes, Zed told me Lucy couldn't sleep either after what happened to her, and I think she's still shaken. There's no shame in feeling like that Jake, those kinds of experiences are always traumatic, and I don't think we've ever been so close to dying before."

"This is true, but I have no qualms in telling you this… what has really kept me up at night is my lack of opinion towards it." She looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean 'lack of opinion'?"

"I look back and picture these creatures, and those moments, but I do not feel fear or terror. The visions keep up at night, but not because I am afraid, but rather that they are purely unpleasant, as I wake up in a cold sweat. Signs of fear… and yet I feel nothing."

"How can you be afraid, and at the same time, feel nothing?"

"I don't know… This has been happening ever since the Hunter was slain. Certain things and pleasures are not as enjoyable as they used to be before: reading, drawing, investigating, and many other activities used to be a great way to pass the time, but now I feel, and excuse me for the lack of repetition: empty."

Elly was puzzled at what the Sneasel was saying, but listened to his words nonetheless. "Could it be that the traumatic experience has altered your view of certain things that you previously enjoyed, but upon realizing how frail you are, you no longer find enjoyment from them? If so, Jake, that's not the way you should be looking at things. We're all frail and mortal, but just because of it doesn't stop Lucy from going on a run, playing sports or sleeping with her mate."

"And yet given what has happened today, she has had a terrible reaction."

"Well, that's because one of her parents died today, Jake. I don't know if it's something you've ever felt Jake, but it is quite difficult to overcome in such a short time. Even if her relationship with her parents was damaged in more ways than we can imagine, he was still her father." She shook her head. "I know that first paw."

"...I see, my apologies then if I have hurt you. Regardless, I do not know if what you have just said, about having such an experience, is really at fault behind all of this. The place I came from made sure that I became desensitized from all of that."

"The future… Yeah, it was not a kind place, and I can understand that. You have told me the story many times, Jake."

"About how I was abandoned due to my frail constitution, survived purely on my wits, and was eventually found and put into Dusknoir's servitude, yes. It is something that I do not enjoy reminiscing on. Back then, I was forced to slay purely for my own wellbeing, balancing the act of murder with keeping my sanity. It wasn't until I was put under Dusknoir's charge that I began to learn and function as a normal pokémon. Beforehand, one may have found me and easily confused me for a high-functioning primal."

"Is that perhaps why you are feeling like this?" She suddenly asked. "I think I can draw a comparison between then and now, again, with the idea of the close death experience. If it's really been that long since then, maybe the experience triggered some unwanted memories from those times, and you are subconsciously punishing yourself for having been like that in the past, or being so positive in the present when before everything was so much worse."

He looked at her, turning to look upward. Was he doing that? Did that truly make sense? "Consider it like this: it's been almost six years since the last time you almost died, the feeling has reminded you of those situations, and are reminding you of the things you had to do in order to survive, hence why you feel as if you don't deserve what you have right now." What she was saying made him shudder, it made sense, but there was something else, as he ruminated he wondered exactly what it was. Elly gave him the time he needed, staying silent and watching him, sometimes turning to look to the fire as it flickered beside them.

"I… did some terrible things back then. I tend to avoid thinking about it, lest it distracts me of more important topics. That being said… I feel as if we are getting closer to the source of what ails me, as I feel uncomfortable when speaking about this time of my life."

"I don't blame you, neither for thinking like that or for what you did back then. We were also forced to do some things we regret, but at the time it was difficult for us to do something that wasn't that, or we would've been killed. Look Jake, the point I'm trying to make is that it's all in the past, and a time frame when many, if not everyone were struggling and fighting to survive no matter what. The fact that you have managed to escape that and have grown enough self-awareness to realize what you did and identify it as wrong is commendable, and not something that everyone has been able to achieve."

He didn't respond, closing his eyes and clenching his fists. "Have I told you about the stockades? Cold, small, cramped shacks around small crop fields, barred in, "protected" from the outside. If you weren't fit enough to do work, it was difficult to survive. I scarcely remember my first years in that world, but I remember enough to know that back then what was inside me was sheer, utter destructive cold. The kind that blows over fields and turns the grass and life to mere shrivels and lays frost over all. And I fear that this part of me, the part that I had to create when I was left to my survival in the wild, has not left me yet."

"So you are afraid of the kind of person you were back then, and are afraid that you may turn back into them?"

"I know it is difficult for me to express… but I truly, truly am grateful for everyone in this team." She felt just the slightest hint of sobbing in his voice. "Dusknoir, while a great tutor, taught me how to restrain and hold my emotions, to never let my foes or himself know… Only to realize the terrible mistake he had made when he finally grew a conscience. I love him as much as I hate him for what he did and offered me. And yet I was once again, alone when he was taken away, and I know not what would've happened to me if you hadn't offered me a place in this team… and I am thankful, because deep down, I know that I would not be here if it weren't for you…" He seemed to be on the verge on breaking down into tears, and Elly did what she thought best and leaned in to hug him.

The Sneasel's fur and body were colder than she had imagined, but she held the comforting hug, her warmth seeping into his body. Even the calculative and calm ice type needed some comfort every now and then. "It if it weren't for you, some of us wouldn't be here either. You're part of the team now, don't let anything or anyone tell you otherwise, ok Jake? You're part of our "family", as we like to call it sometimes."

"I know. Deep down, even if I feel that I do not belong, that I am looking at all of you from the outside, as if looking through a glass window, I know I belong. I just wish I could tear said glass down, but… I simply cannot."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Jake. We won't force you to do something you don't feel like doing. Just know that we're all here to support and help you if you really need it. And please, Jake… don't be afraid to speak your heart out and how you feel, ok? I get that enough when dealing with Eric, the last thing I need is to get it from you!" She chuckled, ending the hug. "Got it?"

"Yes." He had managed to hold back tears, but he was still very emotional about the whole thing. They spoke for a bit more about how Elly thought he could relax, and told him to get some actual sleep that night.

"It will do you a world of good, ok?" He nodded. "Alright then… I think I'll be heading to bed myself as well, since tomorrow it's back to our regular schedule, and we'll have to wake up early tomorrow to get the best missions." Again, he nodded, and headed up the stairs first, wishing her a good night. She heard the door to his room closing, and hoped that he'd finally get a good night's rest. She put out the fire, and headed upstairs herself, the hallway dark and rather cold, due to the plummeting temperatures of the winter. So much had happened in just a few weeks, and they were still supposed to be looking forward to the end of the year… one thing was for certain, she couldn't wait for spring to arrive, since she couldn't stand the cold any longer.

As she walked by Lucy and Zed's room, she overheard soft voices talking inside, the Zorua most likely trying to help his mate deal with her loss. She considered knocking to check on how they were doing, but decided against it, thinking they were better left alone, and went for her own room. Eric was asleep inside, once again, and she simply slipped into bed quietly and nuzzled up against him, hugging him and sharing some of his warmth, laying her face on the back of his neck, drifting off to sleep quietly.

* * *

"Is everything ready then?" The room was dimly lit, only the fragment in the center of the room allowed one to see exactly what was going on, night having recently fallen outside.

"Yes, I think it should be, sir… but it has been less than a month since we last used the fragment for the Doll's creation. Do you think it wise to use it so soon?"

"Perhaps not, but we must find more of these fragments. Time is of the essence if we wish to meet our enemies in battle and win." The leader, a tall figure, was overlooking the process: the altar in the middle, the runes all around. The chamber had been uncovered many years ago, considered a sacred place, and it still was… but the latest developments had forced them to use it.

"I see… very well, sir. May the lord guide us in our path." And with that, the ritual would begin, the floor glowing as the fragment was fully inserted. The altar began to glow, illuminating the room, as the ground shook and trembled.

"The aura… it is blinding!" The leader covered their eyes as the light became blinding as well, and the energy swelled and gathered around them. They'd all feel warmth and power surging through their bodies, coiling and converging, a thick layer of a glowing mist like substance that eventually gathered in the middle… before a great spear of light shot up and through the open roof of the chamber, piercing through the ground and towards the sky.

* * *

In another region, across the ocean, a lone watchman, looking over the marsh would look up at the sight of the great beacon of light piercing the persimmon sky, seemingly disappearing beyond the clouds. Had he blinked, he would've missed it, and he doubted his vision... before a far more intense light appeared. His eyes widened as he saw the light become more and more intense, and a ball of white and golden flames hurled down towards the earth at incredible speeds, flying over the hills and crashing beyond them, a noise that from where he stood sounded like a small explosion, the ground shaking slightly. He quickly got up and left to notify his master of what had happened.

* * *

Elly yawned and stretched as she woke up, groggily trying to get out of bed, being shaken out bed due to the constant pinging and noise in her head: someone was trying to talk to her, but because she was sleeping it all sounded like absolute gibberish. "Ugh… hold on hold on…" She climbed out of bed, or rather, fell out of it as she missed the night table besides it and face planted onto the floor, letting out a loud yelp that was interrupted, leaving her rear facing up. Eric was awakened by the noise and turned to look around, finding her in the rather compromising position.

"Elly, what the hell are you…"

"Someone's calling me, hang on… aaah, damn it…" Her rear and tail fell out of view and she got up, shaking her fur. Her face was a mess of dried up drool and messed up fur, puffing out in all directions, so she was thankful that it was just a psychic conversation. "Here Elly, leader of Team Star, who is it?"

"Elly? Finally you picked up! We need someone from your team at the guild ASAP, something happened last night, and we need someone to go check it out! We think it might be something big!" She recognized the voice as Chimecho's, but she needed a few minutes to process what she was saying.

"Ok ok, hold on slow down… why do you want us to go look at it? Can't you just send someone else?"

"It's an order straight from Ferrus! Come over, and we'll give you the details, the guild's in an uproar!" There was a short silence from the other side. "No, it's not a meteor, I'm telling it's something else, Xatu would've… Alright, Elly I need to hang up, Loudred's saying he wants to go around town proclaiming it's the end of the god damn world again. Just get over here as quickly as you can and bring whoever you can, ok? Also, how is Eric?"

"Alright alright, I will… and he's doing just fine, thanks… Say hi Eric."

"Hi…" He responded groggily. "Chimecho?"

"Yep. Alright, I'll go there in a bit with someone." She closed the link and huffed. "Well that's one way to start the day." She walked up to the bed, jumped up and went over to kiss her mate. "Morning."

"Morning… I think today I'm going to try and move a bit more."

"No, no you're not. I'll go to the guild, and I'll have someone else accompany me. You're staying in bed and resting, Chimecho said at least a few days, and you've only been two."

"But I'm feeling fine. Look." He lifted his arms and moved them around, pushing him back down onto the bed. "Alright alright fine…"

"You're such a baby sometimes." She rolled her eyes and kissed him on the lips. "I'm going to go get ready and see who's up, ok?" He nodded, stretching as he crossed his arms behind his head, resigning himself to stay in bed… for the time being. Elly left the room and went to fix her fur in the bathroom, then walked out and looked around: she was alone, at least inside the building she was. Peering outside through the kitchen window as she drank some water she spotted Nox, focusing fire into his paws and then blasting off into the air, landing back on the grass and leaving some burnt patches where he'd stood. She walked outside and walked around the porch to where he was, looking at him from the little tea table and chairs under the porch.

"What are you doing, Nox?"

"What… does it look like?!" He shouted as he blasted off again, getting more height, almost enough to clear the second floor at this point. "Trying to control this stuff. I did it accidentally when we were fighting the Parasite thing, like Jake called it, and I thought it was pretty cool, so I wanted to do it again!" He began to focus his flames, flowing out of his mouth freely and focusing under his paws.

"I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I! And I think I did it first when Ayame got attacked and I saved her… she never thanked me for that."

"Don't think she would've done it anyways. A bit of an odd character." She commented, watching him gathering the fire, and readying it. "Isn't that dangerous if you fall back down?"

"If it's not too high, it doesn't hurt too much… and I'm trying to do something as well… since I noticed that… You wanna come over so I can show you?" She obliged and got down from the chair and walked up to him, the Houndour raising a paw, and showing her what he was doing: underneath his paw, she could see what looked like a glowing paw pad, but it was… really big, and covered his entire paw, entirely made out of fire. He then pressed it against the ground, and the grass bent and burnt slightly from contact, but his paw itself never touched the ground.

"It's… cushioning it?"

"Yeah, it's very soft too, like a pillow. And warm." He hopped in place, and readied himself, almost as if he was about to pounce. Elly stepped out of the way… and he'd suddenly jump and then the pads underneath his feet would blast, flames washing over the grass, dissipating quickly as he was hurled up… and against the wall, hitting it with his back and then falling back down to the ground. The smack of his back hitting the wall made her wince, and it would definitely scare the others inside, while the Houndour fell back down. "Oooooowwww…"

"Are you alright?" She approached him slowly, skirting the remains of the grass he'd blasted from while he rolled onto his stomach.

"Yeah yeah… I've actually gotten hurt worse. I want to at least see if I can land without hurting himself every time. Anyways, why are you up so early?" She briefly gave Nox a rundown of what Chimecho had told her.

"Wanna tag along? I'll let you as long as you don't stay behind me." The Houndour groaned.

"You know, that was only ONE time, and I didn't see anything, or at least, didn't get to see anything before you just smacked me halfway across the street with a giant fist."

"Yes, I know, and I aim to do the same if I catch you sticking your nose in places where it doesn't belong!" She threatened. "We barely talk, so it'd be good if we can have an interaction where you aren't trying to stick your nose under my tail, Nox."

"Alright alright, I won't do it… besides, I've been trying to cut down on all stuff." She glanced to him, raising an eyebrow.

"Has hell frozen over, or are you actually trying to stop being such a pervert?" He rolled his eyes, making her chuckle. "We barely get to speak, so I didn't know you were seriously considering something like that. What was it that made you change your mind? Outside of the constant berating that we give you." He seemed to drift off a bit as she thought of something, then shook his head.

"Honestly, it wasn't even that. Sure, you've told me time and time again, but I always just ignored, and it worked out… but lately I've been feeling like I wanna improve, and be a bit more graceful about the whole thing. Serge's always telling me that I need to cut down on being so forward and try to take this slower, be more 'suave' as he puts it."

"I don't think being 'suave' has anything to do with it Nox. You don't need a girlfriend or to prove anything to anyone… Look at Jake, he's doing just fine."

"Yeah, and he somehow got to have sex before I did!" He complained, remembering the argument they'd had back in the northern regions of Kanto.

"Another thing that I don't think is good, is that you focus a bit too much on the physical part, something that I just… don't understand. There's more to a relationship than making out and mating Nox, a lot more."

He groaned, rolling his eyes as if he'd been told this millions of times already… which he had. "I know about that, but I don't look at those kinds of things or want to do something like that."

"Then what do you want out of a relationship then? Just sex?"

"I… No? I mean… Look, I just want to like, be able to say I'm no longer a virgin, and maybe then things will happen and work out from there."

"I don't get why you are so obsessed with trying to find an end to your virginity, like you have to prove something to someone!" She shook her head. "Honestly Nox, I don't think anyone, unless they're a moron, is going to make fun of you for being a virgin when you're still sixteen. Sounds to me like you're either forcing yourself to do this, or you don't know what you want to do. Has Serge been putting weird ideas into your head? Or trying to convince you that settling down with someone is a bad idea?" That was something she could see the flying type doing.

To her shock however, Nox shook his head, and in fact got angry with her, growling. "You don't have to say that kind of stuff about him. Sure he's always teasing me about being a virgin, saying how he was getting double the tail Eric's getting with you when he was my age… But he's never told me how I should do that stuff. It's more so because I want to be able to talk to my bro about it, when I find him. I want him to be able to look at me and go: yeah, you've grown into a great pokémon, like I have, and stuff." He always seemed to get starry-eyed when his brother came up.

"Did he encourage you to chase after females incessantly?"

"Not really, they always all just… kinda came to him." She rose an eyebrow, and the Houndour shrugged. "I guess he was popular and sexy."

"I don't think a girl would just throw themselves to someone with no good reason. Even Serge doesn't get that, at least from what he claims, he just talks with girls, has fun with them prior, and then just does what he wants. Has he never told you any of that?" Nox stayed silent, looking away. "Or have you just never asked him?"

"A mixture of both I guess?" She sighed.

"Nox, having a relationship and getting someone to have sex with you is not easy, and it's not something that you can take shortcuts with. It's something serious. When mating, both partners are at their weakest, and trust each other completely if they want to actually… do it. If there's no trust, no confidence, and it's not enjoyable for one side, then it's not enjoyable for the other either. There needs to be something between the participants, there needs to be some emotion, or meaning behind the act. It's the reason why I criticize Serge's constant wooing and the "fanclub" he has in town."

"I know about that, and I've seen him get into trouble: he gets slapped across the face by a girl, or shouted at by someone, like their father, while she's sitting back… He just apologizes, then when they are gone laughs it off and keeps going. In his defense, he does tell girls what the deal is."

"What do you mean "what the deal is"? How can you even defend him?" She was surprised, hearing all of this from the Houndour, having no idea that Serge was this… disrespectful towards the opposite gender.

"Ok no, hold on let me explain… I've only overheard him say it, he didn't actually say it when he was in front of him, but I distinctly remember one time, we were in Voltaire, he was talking with a girl, and it was going really well. Then she whispered something, he laughed and agreed, but said that he didn't want anything serious. It was just for fun, and she agreed. I'd assume that most other girls that get laid with him know that as well."

"So who's at fault at that point then? Again, I don't get the whole 'just for fun' thing that you're so vehemently defending, and that he practices. Sex for me, and for a lot of people, is a far more important thing than you're making it out to be, and I don't think making it into such a frivolous thing is normal or healthy." The Houndour was stumped, unsure of what to say, huffing and looking away.

"Whatever, just let me do my thing, ok? Every time I bring this kinda stuff with everyone I get grilled about it. Point is, I'm going to try and start cutting down on it even harder than before." Elly sighed.

"Wouldn't it be better if you did with someone with whom you feel some kind of bond? Or do you just not care about that sort of stuff, and what happens after?" The Houndour just shifted around uncomfortably, but didn't say anything. She could tell it wasn't because he didn't have an opinion, but rather that it seemed he didn't trust her enough to truly speak his mind… perhaps because he really had no one to speak to then, because she doubted Serge could give him accurate advice on relationships. "Well, just know that if you need someone to talk with, you don't have only Serge you can approach, because I can tell you're conflicted."

"I'm not."

"You are. You clearly are, I don't even have to look at your mind to tell you're biting your tongue instead of saying what you really want."

"I'm not! Seriously, it's that simple, I just want to get it on with a girl!"

"And then what? What happens afterwards? Not being a virgin doesn't land you a spot in a privileged society or gets you a prize." He kept ignoring her, pushing her to just groan and drop the subject entirely. Besides, they had just reached the guild, which had quite a lot of activity, explorers going in and out, a cauldron of voices, shouting and murmuring that made it impossible to even communicate through psychic, just because of how overwhelming it all was. Elly tapped Nox's shoulder and told him to stick behind her, partly to make sure he didn't get lost, and partly that she trusted he wouldn't take advantage of the situation, and they began making their way to the front reception, where Chatot, Chimecho and some other temporary helpers, some of which were other guild members, ran back and forth and tried to keep up with everyone that was coming in all at once.

Spotting Elly's face among the crowd, however, brought visible relief to the bell pokémon's face, who floated over the counter and greeted them, then immediately excused herself from Chatot as she took them through the left, and to an area that Nox hadn't been to before. It was similar to the original guild's stairs, but unlike then they didn't have ladders, they were spiralling staircases. She took them up, walking past some more bounty boards, on the second floor they'd find more explorers, though fewer, many of them sitting around and quietly speaking, looking at Elly and Nox as they came in. They recognized a lot of them, most prestigious teams and explorers with whom they'd either worked in the past or interacted with.

They weren't there for the same reasons that they were though, as they'd soon find out, walking into Wigglytuff's new room, covered wall in wall in bookcases and cabinets with several papers and books, arranged by dates: contracts, compiled information on missions, reports of said missions, paychecks, and many, many more pieces of data that made Nox's head spin. In the middle of the room, a large desk, on the left, papers and ink, on the right, a mound of apples separated in two types: one, those eaten and nibble down to the bone, the other and smaller one, had the still perfectly intact apples, ever shrinking as he chewed through another right before them. He glanced up from his papers, his fur slowly fading of color as his age grew, but his signature smile and erratic behaviour seemed to be there to stay, as he got up and bound over, smiling and shaking their paws frantically. "My friends! So good to see you again! How's everything Elly? Nox?"

"Everything's been great, nice to see you again, Wigglytuff." She hugged him, and the Houndour just smiled, his relation with the guildmaster wasn't that close. "Chimecho called me over this morning, said something had happened and that you guys needed our help."

"Yes indeed… sit down please, it won't take long, but I can't have my super good friends standing around while I blabber about stuff can I?" He offered them some cushions, some conformity while he sat back down on his chair and looked at them. "So, I don't know if any of you were awake last night, but at 4:12 am a beam of light pierced the sky and clouds, lighting up the sky briefly like a firework. Nobody knows where it originated from, that is still being investigated." He handed them some reports on the shape and brevity of the beam. "More alarmingly however, was a subsequent report from Unova: apparently, a meteor was seen hurling down to the earth shortly after the beam vanished, at 4:14 am in our time, but over there it was around 8 pm."

"Arceus time zones are such a pain in the ass…"

"If this thing was so massive, how come no one saw where it came from?" Elly inquired right after Nox's observation, the guildmaster shaking his head.

"We don't know, as I said, it's being worked on, but it definitely didn't come from Sinnoh, if that's what you're worried about. Right now, our top priority would be to investigate what that meteor is, and whether or not it's dangerous."

"Why would a meteor be dangerous? I mean, it's just a big old rock, so if it had done any serious damage we'd already know, right?"

"That would be the case… if the thing hadn't just up and vanished. Check page six." He quickly pointed them to the next piece of information they needed. "A small team was gathered to investigate the crash landing, but once there they found nothing but strange markings and the crater itself." The report said just that, but also made note of something that Elly found curious.

"Apparently they say that the crash site and the hole was strangely… geometrical?" Wigglytuff shrugged. Not even he knew the answer to that question, the whole case being surrounded in a shroud of mystery that made the Eevee uneasy. Nox kept on skimming through the report and finally putting it down.

"You can keep that copy, so you can show it to the others. You can probably already tell that something about this is extremely fishy, so that's why we decided to send your team in, since it is sadly your field of expertise."

"I won't deny that…" She sighed. "But we're still recovering from the fight with the Parasite." The pink pokémon tilted his head. "The huge Rebscura. That's the name Jake decided to give it."

"Oooh, I see, that's a pretty nice name! Regardless, I know that you are all recovering still, and that you wanted to return to normality after those events, but I'm afraid we're going to have to ask you to investigate this. We don't want to move more forces than we want to, since we're still dealing with the refugees from Evergreen, and we are short of staff, as always… Perhaps you can divide the team, since it will most likely be a simple recon mission?"

"Perhaps. We'll consider the team structure and will come around as late as mid day to confirm who will be going."

"Brilliant, then!" He stood up and clapped his paws together. "I will be waiting for you right here then, my friends! And, please, give Eric my best wishes for a swift recovery." They shook paws again, and said goodbye to the guildmaster before leaving his room, and making their way out of the guild.

"This place is still packed… these are all survivors from Evergreen, right?"

"I think so… I hope that they eventually manage to rebuild their village. The damage that thing caused was massive." This was definitely true, something that she deeply regretted, and had been eating away at her ever since they managed to defeat it and saw the lives it had claimed. If they'd all gone to the forest that day, like they said they would originally, could they have taken care of it then and there? Could they have saved a few more lives?

"I'm sure they will, I mean, there were a lot of dead, but it wasn't an outright extermination, and there were plenty of trees and wood to use to rebuild. It'll be a friggin' shit show, since many of them are just gone, and… honestly, that thing was just so fucked up it's probably screwed with some of their heads like that Hunter thing did Jake." That was another issue that the Eevee hadn't considered: the subsequent psychological trauma. Looking around them, they saw many different kinds of pokémon: tall and short, some of them scared and unnerved, crying or extremely sombre and quiet, and some that were simply happy to be alive and clutching their remaining family members, along with the lucky few whose loses only covered their houses.

"...This is just awful." She suddenly, quite a ways away from the mob of refugees. "Is this really the world that we fought for and that we killed Blake over, and that so many people sacrificed themselves for? More monsters, crazed criminals, unjust trials, and less and less pokémon that are both willing and able to help those in need." Nox was not ready to answer that question, and he had a slight sensation that it was more of a rhetorical question, so he opted to stay quiet, and head back home.

* * *

"So our objective for the next few days will be to travel to Unova and investigate the area where a meteorite crashed?"

"It's our objective, Eric, not yours. Your objective today will be staying at home and recover." Elly was immovable towards the Riolu's health, so deeply concerned for him that ever since she'd gotten out of bed she knew that whatever was ahead he wouldn't be tagging along.

"Elly, I'm f-"

"You could prove to be a liability if we encounter heavy resistance and your strength leaves you."

"In other words, you'd be dead weight, so just stay home!" Nox said with a confident smile, which just made the Riolu annoyed.

"Don't have to rub it in like that Nox…"

"Didn't you recently call me dead weight? Well there ya go." Their bickering stopped there, mainly because the Riolu didn't was too tired to argue, and also because the Houndour was right. "Still, we can't all go, someone needs to stay and help out in town."

"With all of the survivors here, they're going to need some help, and there might be a necessity for quick transport…" Jake glanced between Serge and Lucy, both of which shrugged, though the Shinx did so less enthusiastically.

"I mean, I guess I can go run back and forth, and stay in town." Her tone wasn't overlooked by the Eevee, who opened her mouth to try and speak, but ended up falling silent.

"Well, I can do that too, AND carry stuff and pokémon, so really, I can do everything you can… but better."

"Meh." Normally she'd debated or even shouted at him for suggesting something like that… now she was very much accepting of anything, shrugging it off and laying down on the armchair. Zed nuzzled her, trying to get her to cheer up, but the electric type was pretty much unresponsive. "Just tell me where I have to go, and I'll go there."

"Lucy are you sure you a-"

"Yes, I am. I'm not wounded, or hurt or anything like that, unlike Eric there. His dumbass has to stay home, and if you're also missing me then you'll be down two, plus whoever the hell has to stay, so I'm willing to go and do something." She sounded mostly annoyed, but seeing the bags under Zed's eyes, and how red Lucy's own were, Elly sighed and gave in.

"Alright then, you can tag along if you want. Zed, will you come along too?"

"Yes, I don't want to let Lucy out of my sight… Sorry honey."

"Eh, don't worry about it." She forced a smile and hit him on the shoulder in a friendly way, though it was easy to tell she was trying her hardest to look at least somewhat cheery.

"Then those will be the teams? Jake and I stay home to deal with town stuffs and make sure Eric doesn't do some crazy shit…" The Riolu rolled his eyes and got up from his chair, annoyed. "And you guys go check out this meteor?"

"Wait, when'd I say I wanted to join in with them?" Nox actually wanted to stay in town with Serge, the others looking at him confused.

"Oh, wait you didn't mean to come? Then why the whole "deadweight" thing for Eric?"

"I dunno, I was just pulling his leg? But if you guys want me to tag along, I guess I will."

"Just behave yourself, horndog." Lucy expressed her single requirement as she got down from her chair and towards the entrance, ready to leave the house already it seemed.

"No promises!" He got down as well, walking past Serge and stopping by the flying type, smiling.

"You watch yourself out there kiddo, won't have me to be your conscience, so all the decisions you make are all gonna be on you." He rubbed the Houndour's head with a wing, whilst Zed and Elly got everything ready and Jake helped a rather annoyed and slightly devastated Eric walk over and lay down on the couch.

"Yeah yeah, don't worry. I used to survive all on my own before I met you guys, remember?" He smiled, fist bumping his wing. He stood there for a second, his smile slipping from his muzzle slightly, looking up at Serge. "Hey Serge."

"Wassup kiddo?" He glanced at him, and noticing the rather somber look on his face and walking over to his favorite armchair, much to Jake's dismay. "Oh put a lid on it! Just wanna talk with Noxie here for a bit's all!"

"If you honestly think that these refugees will care much about you talking with Nox about his lack of control over his hormones, you are sorely mistaken."

"Holy shit what's up your ass today, Jake…" He sighed, but shrugged off any further attacks. "Anyways, what's on your mind?"

"Well, I was talking with Elly earlier, about what I told you about a few days ago…"

"About trying to avoid being such a horndog? Yeah, and you didn't tell me what exactly made you do that."

"Well, because… it wasn't getting me anywhere, I guess? I'm thinking that taking a different approach could yield more results."

"I mean…" He leaned forward and scratched his beak. "I think there's no issue in that, but I don't know if the issue is how you're handling it. I think it's more so that you're not forward enough actually, if you come forward and look in the right places, I'm pretty sure you can find some girls." He was obviously talking from his experience… an experience that Nox didn't have, and wasn't too keen on.

"Well, I can see that but I don't… know?" The awkward silence that followed tipped off Serge to something.

"Nox, are you falling for someone in particular?" The Houndour looked up at Serge, staring at him, and was about to answer, before Elly screamed from the other corner of the house.

"Nox! Come on, you guys can talk about it later!" The Houndour had completely forgotten about what they were supposed to be doing, so quickly rushed over to the entrance, saying bye to Serge and grabbing his things. "Remember to bring your scarf, it might be cold." He followed Elly's advice and grabbed it too, then headed out of the house and saying bye to Serge again. The Pidgeot sighed and rested on his armchair, pondering what they'd just been talking about… he was almost sure he was falling for someone, that was the easy part. Hard part was figuring out exactly who it was.

That was something only Nox knew however, and unfortunately he wouldn't be able to tell him anytime soon. Elly rushed them through town, the Houndour hopping behind them as he tried to fit his neck warmer around his head, going blind for just a second and bumping into old Kangashkhan, forcing him to apologize. "Come on, we'll miss the ship! Lucy, go ahead and tell them to wait up!"

"I mean, do I really have to…"

"Just do it!" Elly sounded like she didn't want to discuss it too much, and the Shinx agreed with a shrug, blitzing ahead to the docks. They still ran as fast as they could, and eventually reached the ship, quickly getting on almost as they lifted the plank and set out. Once on board, they all could finally relax and catch their breaths. "Alright… We made it just in time…" She sat down, huffing. "Hope you guys didn't forget anything, there's no going back now."

"Nope."

"Nah, and honestly it doesn't matter."

"Well, I…" Nox looked through his bag. "No, I got everything. Was kinda worried, but I'm a-ok."

"Good! We don't know how long this mission will last, but we don't have much money on us, so we're hoping that the guild's food is enough to help us pull through."

"Great… Knowing our luck we'll probably get food poisoning and spend the rest of the mission just suffering through stomach aches."

"Wow, you are just a bundle of joy today, aren't you?" Nox's observation was answered with yet another shrug, which at this point was starting to become almost as annoying as her usual snarky comments. He rolled his eyes and walked away and looking at Treasure Town as it slowly began to disappear from view. This time around, watching their house disappear in the distance felt somewhat foreboding. Zed approached him after checking on Lucy and telling her to get some rest if she could, sighing as he threw his forearms over the railing, much like Nox was. The fire type glanced at the shorter dark type. "Driving you crazy, eh?"

"She's not feeling ok, not after what happened with her family… I don't blame her, but I've tried to convince her that she didn't have to tag along, but…"

"She's stubborn like a Rapidash ain't she?" Zed nodded. "Honestly, I don't know how you keep up with her, she'd be too much, even for me."

"You say that as if you knew how to handle females." The Zorua couldn't help but feel slightly offended, which the Houndour quickly corrected.

"No no, I didn't mean as a partner… well technically yeah, but what I'm saying is, I can barely keep up and try to deal with her on a daily basis, and she's just my workmate. Can't imagine what it's like to deal with her moods… well, up close." Zed just remained quiet as he spoke… then sighed, and quietly pulled away from the railing and turned around. "Hey! Wh-"

"I'm not going to sit here and let you bad mouth my mate like that Nox. I already know she's not an easy person to be with, ok?" He got extremely defensive, glaring at the Houndour. "She's rude, loud mouthed, swears a lot… but I can look past that, and I can see that there's someone underneath that needs help and support."

"Well, I'm not telling you to leave her or anything like that b-"

"And then you come along, someone's who's never been in a relationship and I honestly can't picture being on a relationship because of how superficial you are! I have never, ever, heard you speak about a female that wasn't on the terms of how nice their rear looked or how cute they were."

"Hey that's not t-"

"I don't care if you're a teenager or not. I was a teenager too, and I had a bit of respect for females, and I can at least find the time to be compassionate and loving to the person that I want to spend the rest of my life with, so if you speak up again and say those things about her behind her back I'm going t-"

"Dude, chill, chill!" Nox rose his paws, the Zorua panting and visibly angry, something that the fire type had never seen in the Zorua before, and thus was utterly shocked. If anything though, Zed was even more flabbergasted than he was. "Well, I wouldn't talk behind her back if I knew she doesn't do the same behind mine… but whatever, I'm not going to get into that argument."

"R-right. Nox I…"

"Save it." He turned to face away, and just fell silent, the Zorua wanting to say something to apologize, but ended up walking away. "I know you're right anyways…" Nox muttered once he knew he was far away enough that nobody would hear him.

* * *

The sun above moved further and further away as the ship traversed in the opposite direction. They trailed the coast of North Sinnoh, and came out to the wide ocean, sailing smoothly, helped greatly by the ship's large sails and the water types that manned and helped the ship travel much faster than a simple sailboat would've. They'd been told to get there immediately, and from what Elly was told, Ferrus paid the expenses of the trip, so it had to be a great boat. Unova was to the south-east, not too far away from Sinnoh, but it would've normally taken a week or two to sail there. Due to the express ship they took, the trip took barely less than three days, arriving soon to the coast of the second richest continent in the world, and its capital: Pontavicel.

( **City of Commerce - Nier** )

Pontavicel was an aweinspiring coastal town, only beat out in sheer size and beauty by Flumerc Ars, but the sheer power present just in the shoreline was Unova's prize jewel: their navy, a vast fleet of merchant ships, rows of them extending as far as the eye could see: some small, and some impossible big, several sails, most representing the wealthier families and businesses that thrived there. Compared to this, Treasure Town's dock was a measly thing, tiny as it was. Several ships were sailing back and forth near the coast, looking or waiting for their chance to dock and unload their goods, several flying types having been hired to start the process or outright complete it.

"We are now arriving at Pontavicel. Please, make sure your belongings are with you, as we will reach land in the next hour or so. We hope you had a pleasant trip with us. I repeat, we are now…" One of the sailors was pacing around the boat repeating the message over and over, but the four Team Star members were all already up and ready. Though perhaps they were a bit too eager, as the sail was unable to find a spot in the bustling docks to sail to and finally let them off to land. Almost fifteen minutes after this initial call, most of the travellers on the ship were already up, but no one could get on land. A couple of flying types approached the ship and proposed taking some to land… at exorbitant prices, of course.

"Two thousand poké?! Just to take us a few hundred meters to land?!"

"Hey, it's either that, or you guys wait around here for a good three or four hours, your call!" Elly was tempted to deck him in the face with her dark matter, but instead just turned away and proposed he goes with his ridiculous offer to somewhere else. She neither had the patience or the money. Not even two minutes later that same flying type took off with five pokémon on his back.

"I guess this is what Serge called "The Pontavicel Treatment"... I hope there's food still left on the ship." Nox groaned, feeling rather hungry, since they hadn't had breakfast that morning. In fact, nobody had, and not even Lucy, whose behaviour and attitude had worsened during the trip, could avoid groaning.

"I'm about to drop dead here… About time."

"Will you please stop being such a depressed b-" The slap to the back of his head from Elly was visceral, and quite deserved, as he didn't pursue the matter, instead just growling. The Eevee looked at her friend, and at Zed: he looked even worse than she did, stressed out and eyes drooping. It reminded her a lot of the first time she'd ever seen him, so insecure and scared of everything and everyone.

Thankfully for all them, a spot opened up, and thanks to a skillful, albeit risky maneuver, the ship managed to squeeze into the new gap before another did. The screams and complaints from the merchant ship accompanied the group as they dismounted and got off onto the bustling streets. They covered and protected their bags, thieves being fairly common, and preying on innocent tourists, and began moving and squeezing their way through. Barrels and boxes of goods rolled, drove and flew above their heads, the sun mercilessly shining down. Despite the clear skies, the air was cold, no doubt due to the time of year. Shouting, proclaiming, whispering and talking went off all around them all at once, a melting pot of species, accents and cultures that seemed hellbent on making it impossible to hear oneself think.

It was so bad actually, that Elly's psychic link was barely perceptible, but she tried to steer and lead everyone, make sure they were all in the same place and didn't get lost in the asphyxiating mob as they finally got to the main avenue, which paradoxically had less people walking up and down than the docks. "Is everyone here?"

"That was horrible…" Zed seemed the most shaken out of them all, disliking physical contact… and they'd have to push and shove their way through all of that.

"Well, at least we're in the clear… So where to now?" Nox asked, stretching his neck upward and looking around, being the tallest in the group, trying to see if he could see any buildings that may count as a guild.

"Honestly? I don't know. We're just going to have to find our way to the guild by asking for directions…" She asked some friendly looking pokémon, and they kindly gave her some directions: to keep going down the avenue, then take a left on the third intersection, and there'd be no missing the guild by that point. Whatever that meant, she didn't know, but thanked him anyways, and lead the others.

The buildings were taller than those in Treasure Town, and comparable to those in Cunabula, some almost three floors high! Jake would've been going insane appreciating the architecture and structure of the buildings, and could've probably acted as a pseudo guide of information they absolutely didn't need, such as telling the age by the shape of the roof, or whether or not a coat of paint was new or old. The sidewalks were at least very marked, so as to avoid anyone from crossing through the padded road and in the way of some speeding carriage. "This is so confusing…" Nox observed. "All the buildings, and the people, and the carriages… it's like, an information overload! Cunabula's got nothing on this."

"Pretty sure we didn't go to Cunabula at the right time… today it seems to be a very commerce intensive."

"Probably buying food and gifts before winter kicks in, and the prices go through the roof." They all looked to Zed, who shrugged. "It's true, the only person I haven't seen taking an arm and a leg for a bag of berries during the winter is old Keck, but even he increases the prices."

"I can only imagine they are more expensive here… but they probably have better livelihoods…"

"Could use some of that, we are always short on money…" While it wasn't necessarily false, the way Lucy said it rubbed them the wrong way, expecting some sort of insult to herself to follow up, though she spared them that, and just kept walking along silently.

( **Stop the music** )

As they reached the intersection, however, they came across a massive roadblock. "The hell?" Nox voiced everyone's thoughts, and as they approached, they noticed what was going on: five carriages were thrown about the floor, pokémon were screaming and roaring at each other: a large group of Zebstrikas, Rapidashes and Mudsdales were roaring and railing against eachother.

"If you weren't trying to outspeed everyone we wouldn't be waiting here for this mess to be cleaned up! You Unovian breeds…"

"You're all so fucking clumsy anyways, can't pass through without strutting and trying to charge people for your shit services! Even my calves could carry two of those carriages you need four for!"

"You certainly don't mean that, with those weak legs of yours."

It was a constant back and forth that, from the sound of it, involved racism, and on top of that, the people trying to walk by were being stopped by members of the local guild, claiming it wasn't safe to pass through while they were trying to break the bickering factions apart. "Oh come on, of all times, it has to be when we come by?!" Once again, Nox seemed to be ahead of everyone when it came to complaining, whilst Lucy began muttering about how nothing was going their way.

"Well… what are we going to do now, Elly?"

"I mean, I could help, I'm sure with my psychic powers I can move some of those carriages out of the way… just wait for me here, ok?" They all agreed and found a nearby park to sit and watch as Elly approached the guild members, and a Simipour holding the line noticed her.

"Sorry, miss, but this area is off-limits, there's been an accident and…" He noticed her black scarf and badge almost immediately, his eyes widening when they met her sky blue eyes and saluted her. "Miss Elly!" Him calling out her name like that scared her, and looked around, having garnered some attention. "We were expecting you and your team! Did you just arrive this morning?"

"Umm… yes? Are you with the guild?"

"Yes, my name is Philo, and I am part of the Pontavicel's Guard… consider it the law enforcement body in our great city. I apologize that there was nobody at port today to welcome you all but as you can see…" He glanced to the bickering horses. "We were caught in an altercation."

"Yeah, I can see that… And that there's a lot of pedestrians trying to get through. We were told the guild is this way, and thought to come by immediately to receive further information."

"The meteor, right?" She nodded, and he glanced upward nervously. "I wasn't the guy that saw it crashing, but I know 'em. Sadly, I think you will have to take an alternate route to the guild, we can't have anyone pass through, lest they get hurt."

"Well, about that. I didn't notice any psychics here, so I was thinking I could help out and move some of the carriages out of the way."

"Oh! Yes, I forgot, you are a powerful psychic, right miss Elly? Then please, we have tried to get someone to help us, but all of our psychics seem to be occupied with other matters. If it isn't too much to ask…" She walked by him and shook her head, smiling.

"Of course not! Now…" She looked at the carriages. There were a total of five, and all of them were on their sides: two seemed to be for passengers, though were now empty, with shards of broken glass scattered everywhere, a pretty dangerous hazard, and the rest had been carrying goods: two of them barrels and boxes of food, a mess of squashed berries and vegetables tainting the padded road, and the last one, and the one covering their sidewalk, several furniture items tied together into one big block, which all around looked insanely heavy. "Here goes…" She focused on the carriage, enveloping it in her powers, briefly silencing the bickering as the Mudsdale's merchandise began twitching and lifting… and only when she got a few inches off the ground did she realize how much of a mistake this was.

"Guh! That's… so… heavy…" The Mudsdale weren't kidding, this thing was insanely heavy, trying to lift it up and heaving visually, resisting and straining herself to the point where she almost got a headache, breathing out as she had to let go, though she did so gently, so as to avoid any further damage.

"Miss, are you…"

"I'm fine, it's just… It's way too heavy." She shook her head. "I don't think I can lift something like that easily. Let's try the other c-"

"You give up so easily?" A voice called from behind her, turning on a dime to notice that the mob had given way to a massive pokémon. Towering above her, the Simipour, and even the Mudsdale walking from the sidelines with interest was a gargantuan Garchomp, looking down at the Eevee, who returned the look with just as much decisiveness.

"Excuse me?"

"Sir, please, back away from this area, it is currently too dangerous for civilians to come through. There's glass and…" Halfway through his sentence Philo noticed his words were falling on deaf ears and his voice faded out, intimidated by the massive pokémon.

"I asked if you were going to give up so easily. The hardest of the job was done, having lifted it off the ground, all that is needed is one more push, and a stronger will." He continued, his grave voice was enough to make most shudder in place.

"You're telling me I'm not strong enough to lift it up then?"

"You are. But you lack the conviction, and a clear motivation. I ask you, to attempt again." He was a strange individual, talking like that to Elly… but she wasn't about to just stand there and let him win by saying she was weak. Turning around to face the carriage again, she focused and used her psychic powers to begin lifting it. Again, after a couple of inches, it was already insanely heavy…. but she pressed on, now getting that headache, and kept pushing, closing her eyes… she was lifting it up higher and higher, cracking an eye open, and keeping her focus, she brought forth her dark matter to make a large hand and push it upward as well, giving it another push and surface for her to lean it on, and after less than a minute, the carriage slammed down on all its four wheels, upright, and was followed by a cheer from the crowd behind her, her ears ringing, and head pounding.

She turned to the Garchomp, smirking. "Well, there you go. Not so weak, am I?" She was met with a smile of his own, and a chuckle.

"Clearly. Must say, I am impressed… but I digress, I shall lift the others myself." He walked into the area where the carriages were, and at this point more guild members, including Philo, walked after him to stop him from doing anything stupid… but what he did shocked everyone, including Elly, as he non-chalantly crouched and stuck his left claw under one of the carriages… and casually pulled it up, putting it back in its place with a thundering racket, leaving everyone speechless as he did the same motions with the other three, until the roadblocks were pretty much gone, bar the area covered in food and glass shards. Even Elly's companions saw him do this, and stared in awe as he just… walked away, though not before glancing at the Eevee one last time with a knowing smile, before continuing down the road. After a few more minutes of clean up, the side of the road she'd cleared was traversable again.

"Thank you so much for your help, Miss Elly. The guild is a few more streets down the road, it is a large building with the oddly shaped roof, there is no way you can miss it." Philo gave her some more directions and she thanked him again, before he walked off to start cleaning up the mess and convince the horses to start moving the carriages so that others may pass. Nox, Zed and Lucy approached from the park, still shaken. Whoever that was… they'd made a very good first impression.

* * *

" _After that, we headed to the guild, this tall building with something called "elevators", small wooden cabins that they lift up with ropes. Apparently the Guildmaster, a Serperior was at the top, so we had to get on those…"_

 _"Must've been fun to heave Nox right next to you then."_

Eric's tease made Elly roll her eyes.

" _If you knew what he was rubbing against me you'd have killed him_."

" _I've still got time to do it. Just tell Serge and I'll fly over to bitch slap him._ " Elly chuckled at his reaction.

" _Don't worry, it's ok… I guess. And you better stay over there mister! If Jake tells me you did so much as slip out of bed to go for a run you're going to get an earful when I get back!_ "

" _If you don't already give me one over these crystals… anyways, you guys finally eating now?_ "

" _Yeah…_ " She looked at her empty plate, and looked at the others: Lucy had barely touched her plate, Zed was slowly eating and glancing at her, and Nox was just devouring his plate, enjoying the delicious food.

" _She's still being moody isn't she?_ "

" _Mhm. Honestly, I expected her to take it a lot better, since her relationship with him wasn't great._ "

" _I don't think that's the way she's handling it… he might've not been a good parent to her, but she's still sad that he's gone away. Just… remember how I was after mine did…"_ She stayed quiet, just looking at Lucy, fixing her eyes on her plate, the shinx still looking miserable. She suddenly glanced up at her, and held line of sight with her for a bit before she broke it, returning to looking at her somewhat touched plate. " _I think I'm going to have a talk with her later._ "

" _Alright. I'm sure she'll cheer up if you both talk about it… I think I'm going to go take a nap_."

"Alright, bye bye honey." She smiled, speaking herself before she ended the connection, making a kissing motion with her lips and smiling, hearing Eric doing the same on the other side. She then returned to her companions, her mood having improved just a bit more, and feeling a lot more confident in talking to her friend. But they were out in the open, smiling at her and putting a paw forward, both of the males looking at her in confusion, her friend returning the gaze… and eventually, the motion, clenching her friend's paw. There was no need for words or psychic links, their eyes said as much as was needed…

"HEY!" All four of them were startled by the hand that came down on the table, soon after, a drunken Swampert was on them, looking at the girls holding hands, though quickly pulling away. "When are ya two gonna kiss, hm~?"

"Excuse me?!" Lucy stood up, riled up and fur sparking, the Swampert backing off with a stupid grin on his face, his friends behind him, a Dewott and a Bayleef, as some of the other patrons turned to look at the commotion, some of them explorers, if their badges weren't any indication.

"'s jus' a joke, girl, no need to be so uptight… then again if you swing that way…" He and his friends burst into laughter, backing away from their table as the Team Star members were about to start ignoring them… when they heard a groan.

"Oi, asshole, mind where you're fuckin' goin', or I'll knock your bloody teeth out in one punch." The pokémon they'd bumped into was a massive Krokorok, hunched over the bar, and glaring at them. His size ecliped even that of the Swampert's, and he was already huge. "All 32 of them, jus'" He made a jerk with his head, though the water and ground type just glared back, and puffed his chest out.

"Oh yeah, you gonna do that in here, around all these explorers, ya jerk wad? What, you wanna get instantly thrown into a cell? The guild's right around the corner, ya know? It wouldn't take more than three minutes."

"It'd take more than the whelps in this bar to throw me into jail… and you definitely ain't far off, wiseass."

"Fuckin' insult one more fuckin' time ya lil' bitch, and I'll be the one knockin' your teeth out ya hear me?" The Krokorok seemed to tense up at the insult, and the tension in the air was palpable… but he seemed to relax at the last moment, and calmly grabbed the Swampert's hand, and pushed it away.

"Get lost."

"Oh, what, trying to speak your way out of it like a scared little girl eh~?" The teasing continued, though it seemed like it was the last of them. "Ah, whatever, let's split dudes, booze here sucks an-"

" **Hey. Asshole.** "

Everyone's heart's sank at the murderous tone that oozed out of the Krokorok's maw, as the confrontation finally caught the eye of Team Star… and everyone but Nox recognized him: the same Krokorok they'd met in Crimsand, and that had almost snapped Eric's staff. " **The fuck'd you just call me?** "

"And what the fuck did you just call m-" It happened, in an instant, the Krokorok's right arm gave off a sheen, shooting upward like a rocket and smashing his face in, yellowed teeth flying off as he spun on his heel and slumped down, groaning and coughing up blood. By this point, everyone was up and either walking out the bar or towards the Krokorok, who grabbed his face, and lifted it up, and began counting every tooth. "Yeah, let's see here: one two three four five…"

"You're dead meat!" The Dewott grabbed a hold of his shell in drunken hatred and came down on it on his neck, attempting to cut it off it seemed. It all happened so fast, Elly's dark matter was halfway to his arm when the shell hit the neck… and again, that same sheen, and the shell smashed into millions of tiny shards. There was yet another moment of silence as the Krokorok rose up to full height, and grabbed the Dewott by the scruff of his neck. By this point he was surrounded, and it wasn't just the local explorers: Everyone but Zed had gotten up from the table and was facing the Krokorok too.

"Let him go." Was the single order someone from the group barked, they all seemed quite ready to fight. The Krokorok looked over his shoulder and glared at him. "Eh? Oh… well, if ya insist…" He lowered the terrified Dewott, who let out a sigh of relief… before he roared and was suddenly lifted and thrown towards the window, smashing right through, across the street, and against the opposite building. The reaction was immediate, Elly charging forward with a dark fist to return the blows to the Krokorok… and hitting what felt like the hardest thing she'd ever punched, her dark matter bursting outward and away, quickly backing away as the ground type reached for the dark matter to continue his assault, groaning in exasperation.

"Aaaagh! You gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me I just wanted to have a fuckin' nice drink and this sorta shit has to happen every single fuckin' day!" He stomped on the ground and grabbed a chair, swinging it around and hitting a poor unprepared Pikachu in the face, sending him flying and against the mob, who caught the instantly knocked out explorer. "Oh fock me, shit mate I'm s-"

"He's resisting arrest! Get him!"

"No wait, shit man I'm sorry I fuckin' don't none of th- Oi!" He had Nox, a Midnight Lycanroc and a Fraxure try to hold him down. "I said, I don't want none of this fuckin' shit! Get off!" He struggled violently, but they held on. "Fuckin' get off… **Get off!** " His reaction became even more violent, tossing and throwing out punches, sending Nox hurling to the bar and knocking bottles of alcohol down, sending him groaning, whilst the Midnight Lycanroc was grabbed and spiked against the floor and the Fraxure held on as he charged towards the exit, where he was met with Lucy, sparking up, and shooting a well aimed bolt at his face.

Even so, he had his arms crossed, and he got a single groan from him as he almost bulldozed the Shinx, quickly running out of the way as he smashed his way out, splinters and wood chunks flying off as he looked for the quickest route to escape, whilst grabbing the Fraxure's arms, pulling him off and still holding his arm, smashed him against the ground repeatedly, until he let got, leaving the tough looking pokémon whining on the ground. "Fuck you!" He attempted to get away again… but he found the street to be completely full of explorers, all of them ready to throw themselves at him and stop him from moving. Not only that, but Elly came out of the bar as well, along with many other explorers, leaving him surrounded from all directions.

"Give it up! You're completely surrounded!" At the sound of her voice, he turned to face her, snarling.

"Oi, shut the fuck up, ya cunt! I ain't surr- Wait a sec…" He focused on her completely, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head. "Oh, you're that Eevee b-" Before he could even finish that train of thought a massive Serperior tail crashed against the back of his head, in a very precise spot, meant to knock him out, as the guildmaster had quickly snuck up behind him. To everyone's shock however, he only recoiled and stood up, looking at the grass type, furious, and raising his fist against the guildmaster… and then slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief as he finally went down, the guildmaster complaining about the joints of his body as he slithered back into the building, whilst the Krokorok was handcuffed and sported back to the guild by nearly twenty pokémon.

"Hey, Nox, come on, snap out of it." Zed's voice called out to the Houndour, the fire type standing up… then stuttering in his step and burying his face into the growing puddle of alcohol, coughing up as he almost drowned himself in the booze… but with a clear drunken blush on his face. "Oh come on…"

* * *

The Krokorok snapped awake a few minutes later, tossing and looking around. He was in a temporary cell, bound to a chair, with his arms tied behind his back with a tough looking vine. Outside of the cell he saw some pokémon, whose tossing alerted to his awakening, among them were Elly and Lucy, the others being the cellmaster, an Unfezant by the name of Freud, and Servine, Alex, son of the Guildmaster. "Finally woke up. Kept us waiting."

"Ugh… What… happened…"

"Got knocked out, then we took you here, and cuffed you to that chair, so you don't do any more damage. You're under arrest for civil assault and resisting the authorities." The Krokorok just looked at him, in a mixture of bafflement and confusion. "How do you plead?"

"The fuck?!"

"That's not a plead."

"Fuck it ain't! I ain't done shit those assholes didn't deserve, jumping me like that and callin' me names! Woulda just waited for you lot to get him the hell out, but you didn't do shit. So I took out the trash."

"If by taking out the trash you mean having to pay for a full jaw reconstruction and physiotherapy for those drunkards you tossed around, then I suppose you did a bang up job of it, dickhead." Lucy chimed in, and earning herself a scowl from Alex and the Krokorok.

"Right… Well, back to the topic at hand: you're in some deep trouble mister. And not just for your performance here today…" Alex walked closer and slammed a folder on the table in front of him, rough sketches of his face and descriptions of his crimes laid out in front of him.

"I ain't done nuthin'." Was his only response after just skimming over them. The skim was so quick in fact, Elly had her doubts whether or not he'd read them.

"Oh, so every single one of these bounties were completely made up? Let's see here." He picked up several papers. "Assault, assault, public indecency, assault, assault, robbery, assault… Pretty violent aren't we?"

"Hey keep your fuckin' snout in your coffee and outta my problems pal!" He shook in his chair, the stool creaking as he tossed around.

"Keep struggling, your hands are bound, not like you're going to be able to get up." He was about to keep reading more of those papers… but when he saw the Krokorok get a foot up, he quickly jumped, vaulting and backflipping over the table that shot against the opposite wall, though thankfully Elly caught it with her dark matter, and laid it down, exactly when Alex landed, and snatched another paper out of the air. "Oh, here's a good one: property damage, or as the writer defined it…" He cleared his throat. "Damn bastard kicked down my door, came in to shout at me over some taurosshit, grabbed the door, placed it against another wall, and kicked the wall and the door down, then walked out." Just the mental image was enough to make Nox chuckle, and Alex smile. "What, never learnt how to open doors or something?"

"Asshole deserved it, served shit booze at exorbitant prices and was forcing kids to go through the woods, with primals, to fetch it from his stash."

"Yes, this is true, and the matter was looked into and those infants are now in better hands, we assure you… We've kept a close eye on you, mister. Enough felonies to call you a dangerous individual, specially when taking into consideration the state you leave your victims in." At this, the Krokorok shrugged.

"It ain't my fault, I don't punch none who don't deserve it."

"And who are you to decide that?!" He shouted. "What, you think you're some hero, acting outside of the law and beating the shit out of anyone that pisses you off or does something wrong?! Some of these people you never even knew, yet their first and only interaction with you has been them receiving a punch square in the face!"

"If ya did yer fuckin' job properly…" He bit his lower lip, and scoffed. "Fuck this, man, I ain't got nothing to explain to you."

"That's right, you don't, because I know full well what I want to do with you…" He stepped back… but Elly stepped forward. "But you've got stuff to explain to her."

"Her? You?" He looked at her straight in the face, the Eevee infinitesimally smaller than he was. "The fuck cha want? Where's ya Riolu boyfriend?! He and I got a score to settle!"

"I'll be asking the questions here, mister… I don't think Alex asked you your name. Got a bit carried away didn't we?" The Servine's eyes widened, and he rubbed the back of his head, becoming incredibly lax when he wasn't face to face with the Krokorok.

"Ah nuts… Well, it was pretty good for a first time interrogation, wasn't it?" Lucy rolled her eyes, and Elly couldn't help but smile whilst Sam just looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, don't worry, we all have our first time… anyways." She turned to the Krokorok, and looked at him expectantly. He waited for a bit, just looking at her in silence, before he remembered.

"Oh, right. Me name. Name's Sam, short for Samuel, got it?" He seemed hell bent on getting his name across, because he looked at them sternly, almost as if it were a matter of life and death.

"Sure, sure, Samuel, Sam, Sammy, whatever, it's the same sh-"

"I said I'm fuckin' **Sam**!" He stood up and slammed his feet, the vines holding his hands behind him snapping cleanly, growling menacingly, which scared Lucy, and got Elly to stand up, but visibly calmed down when she noticed he wouldn't attack. Alex meanwhile, was too distraught and surprised to see that his super resistant vines had been snapped with such ease...

"...short for Samuel. We got it." Elly repeated, and Sam seemed to relax and sit back down, looking at her straight, putting his arms on the table between them.

"Much better… Didn't wanna break them too early, he looked like he was way into it." What he meant wasn't lost on the group, the Servine blushing, but also slightly frustrated. "Anyways, what do you wanna ask me about, eh?"

Elly was straight to the point: leaning over the table, she'd place her paw on her left claw, specifically on the back of it, where the emblem was: different, like a row of serrated teeth, surrounded by a brownish circle. "This. Where'd you get it?" His eyes went wide open and pulled away from her, covering his left claw, looking quite alarmed. "I'm going to be dead serious with you: if you don't tell me exactly where you got it, or who gave it to you, you will not be leaving this building."

"Wot. You think you're gonna be able to hold me here? For real?"

"The guildmaster managed to knock you out while you weren't looking, and didn't notice you. I don't know how you managed to get out of the first hit unscathed, but you didn't the second."

"Because the old geezer got the jump on me. Had I been aware I would've turned around a-"

"Would've what?!" Alex stepped forward, looking irate, but he backed down when Elly waved a paw at him to pipe down.

"That's not really important. Now answer." Something in her gaze told Sam she wasn't kidding when she said she was going to keep him there if he didn't answer, but… He wasn't straight with his answer.

"Well… I dunno? Woke up one day, it was there, and I was a Krokorok. Look, what's the deal about it? It's just a dumb tattoo."

"Just a dumb tattoo?" She put her left paw on the table, and show her own mark to him. "Does something like this ring familiar?" Sam stared at it for a long time, but ended up shaking his head. "You are not lying to me, are you?"

"Why would I? Lady, I don't fuckin' care for your weird sense of fashion or whatever the fuck. Besides, it looks fuckin' awful on you, hidden under all that fur. Mine's kinda obnoxious too, no matter how much I scrub at it, it never fuckin' goes off." He scratched at it with his claws, lifting some scales up and tossing them on the table. The mark was there, but she noticed something else: his scales glittered on the table, and as he brought his hand back on the table and made it shake, they looked quite rigid. "What's to ya anyways?"

"It's merely an inquiry, concerning the fact that certain… individuals with strange powers or strength have been sighted before, and they usually weren't up to anything good. You have unnatural strength and your scales look very suspicious, and unnatural… And your violent behaviour is enough to make you a danger, as mister Alex stated before."

"Oi, I said I didn't wanna do it, but that a-hole came up to me and just started being an a-hole all over me, so I decided to make his mouth into a new a-hole, because all he was saying is shit, and I ain't a smart guy, but I know shit's supposed to come out the other end." The mental image Sam provided for the group wasn't exactly nice, making Lucy gag, and Elly cough to compose herself. She was actively struggling to keep a straight face… this was the reason why she usually left interrogations to others, but this time around it was either a semi-drunk Nox, a depressed Lucy or Zed… and given the fact Zed was being himself and he was probably the worst choice was a testament to the hunk of scales in front of her.

"Nevermind that, you also appeared in front of our team a week or so ago, in the town of Crimsand, in Sinnoh… Now, one would normally leave that encounter as just a mere coincidence… but I don't precisely believe in those, not with how well organized these individuals are."

"So you're sayin' I'm stuffed, hm? Well, you can grab that and shove it right up your a-" He didn't get to lift his hands before they were suddenly tied together by her dark matter scarf, which shot from her neck and to his hands, binding them together, and as he tried to pull on them, he'd feel the wetness and elasticity of the water that now put them together. He could stretch them as much as he wanted, but they remained around his wrists like cuffs, and the more he stretched them, the harder they pulled together, slapping his hands and making the air ripple. "Oi! What the fuck?!"

"Just a safety measure before I leave the room, because I'm pretty much done here."

"The fuck we are! C'mere, and Imma show you just how strong I am! Here, I'll break yer stupid cuffs while I'm at it too!" He tried over and over, but it was basically useless, eventually falling on his side and on the floor, toiling and tossing around as he pulled and pulled, as Elly walked out of the cell just as Lucy stuck her tongue out at Sam.

"Deserved. Can't believe this asshole says he's strong and can't break those things. Pretty sure the Garchomp from this morning would've done it in the blink of an eye."

"The one that told me to lift that carriage? I'm not sure, the water strings are very stretchy and…"

"Wait! Wait!" Sam rushed to the bars and slammed against them, hearing the iron creaking under his body as he slammed and looked through them at the group as they walked upstairs, his cell now locked. "Who are ya fuckin' talking about?! Some crazy strong Garchomp dude?!"

"Yes, we are, someone who would actually give you a run for your money, I'm pretty sure. Now sit tight mister asshole, while we go check out some meteor. After that, we'll be comin' back to check on your sorry ass." Lucy waved dismissively at him as he kept on calling them to come back down… but eventually just fell quiet and the door locked behind them, plunging him into the dim light cast from the candles. A crazy strong Garchomp… in Unova…

"Well… this might just get interesting then."

* * *

"Chariot." A voice rang in their head. They sighed, this being the very reason for their late night excursion to the outskirts. "Report."

"Yes, sir. The members of Team Star seemed to have arrived just this morning, just as you had predicted. However, it seems like they haven't sent their full force, only four of their members: the Houndour, the Zorua, the Shinx, and just as you had foreseen, the Eevee. Elly."

"Yes, it was obvious that at least her or Eric would show up… Do not underestimate them just because they aren't all there. Remember what happened in the Crimsand ruins."

"With all due respect sir, that battle was likely lost because I could not make it. If I had been provided with a bit more time perhaps…"

"Do not dwell in the past. What we sought was not there. Only a remnant of the past… it could've been a valuable ally, but alas, now we must reconvene, and win this next battle. However, I did not call you just to ask for an update." A pregnant pause followed this statement, a stern tone coming from the other side.

"Sir?"

"Oh don't cha Sir me. Don't have to talk so formally, it's weird to hear you in this awful accent. What's happened to your informal speech, eh?" The voice on the other side was different, and far less… formal. But the same air of intimidation and dread remained. "Oh, whatever, don't even bother answering that, here's the gist of it: Tharmius has landed in Unova just this afternoon. Not in Pontavicel through, somewhere else."

"...Tharmius. I see. I suppose then, that the rendezvous will come sooner than we had anticipated."

"Now now, just hold your Zebstrikas there partner, before you bite off more than you can chew. Remember what we told ya your mission was?"

"Learn of the location of the artifact, retrieve said artifact at any cost."

"Yes yes, very, very good! Now, where in the FUCK does it say there that you should go out of your way and meet up with Tharmius?"

"Sir, he could be looking for t-"

"Not in here, ya don't speak about that!" The voice on the other side cut their statement short, another pause, as the more calm voice returned. "This line may have been compromised with the defeat of Taikok, we cannot take our chances. Your mission was clearly stated, and you were encouraged to avoid any additional side confrontations that may delay or impede you from carrying out this mission."

"...Understood sir. Retrieve the object at any cost."

"Good. Your chance will come in due time, my friend. For now, I suggest you start moving: use whatever strategy you deem necessary to retrieve the fragment, but know this…" The figure stood up, and began walking. "Should you return empty handed, it shall be your powers that are used for our goals."

"Do not disappoint us." "Do not disappoint us, chump!"

* * *

 **Alright then, now I am BACK. For realsies this time. This last term was complete and utter CHAOS, so I had to really dig in and try to get through. I got it, but I didn't complete some of the goals I had to, so it's just going to make things a bit rougher in the long run… but it'll be fine, I'm sure of it. Now, in celebration, let's do something I haven't done in a while: respond to reviews!**

 **Off of chapter 12, since otherwise I wouldn't have much to cover:**

 **WesternFail: Too long my friend. You should do it more often (I know you're there), seriously, your input is ALWAYS appreciated. But yes, Ayame was a fun character to write, and be assured, you shall be seeing more of her in the future!**

 **Hjof257: Yo, thanks for reviewing in literally every chapter, love your input as well. And yes, I was trying to catch everyone up, since it seemed like it had been a long time since last chapter (ironic, I know).**

 **Nox and Serge have a bit of a special relationship, that much is obvious, but how will Ayame play into it? Who knows…**

 **And thank you for the input on the fight, it was something that I had spent a loong time thinking about and perfecting. I'm trying to make the fights in this part a lot more sparce, but make those fights into spectacles and memorable ordeals, so happy that I'm keeping it up.**

 **And funnily enough, KH3 didn't keep me down for very long, had to do other stuffs and I had to drop it in and out, ended up waiting for Critical to play it again and finish it… and now I'm waiting for the DLC for that… *le sigh***

 **#don'tworryyou'llseehermore**

 **Snowwolf65: Someone else praising the fight scene? Aw geez, thanks man, seriously, it means a lot. I put a lot of effort into them.**

 **Also maybe, maybe not ;)**

 **Guest: Whoever you are, my dude, you get a cookie for reviewing and showing your input. That's kind of the idea: even if you don't like his humour, you can still find some amusement in it. And Lucy's family is… yeaaaah.**

 **And no, you didn't miss anything, and all will be revealed in due time about the other world. Needless to say, I wanted to show this symbol to stablish a connection between the ongoing main story and this one, since people were awfully confused about it alst chapter.**

 **Hjof: And we're back to you my man! And you can start throwing speculations around, but lemme tell ya, you're missing quite a few letters still hehehe~ And yeah, I'll try to arrange it for the next chapter, which will come out in a not preposterous amount of time! Hooray!**

 **Anyways, wanted to stick it here so that it didn't interrupt the beginning of the chapter (which I did anyways with that skit. Btw whoever gets the reference of the last line gets 20 internet cookies.) Nevertheless, I thank you for sticking around for so long, and reading this chapter. Things are back to normal now, and they will STAY that way!**


	16. Chapter 12 - Gift from the Stars

**Well hello hello! That took like… what? A month? Honestly I'm surprised myself. This chapter is much longer than usual as well. Not too much longer, but still enough. I feel I could've cut down some parts of it, but then I think I'd be paying it dearly later down the line. I have the next chapter already in the works too, maybe I can go back to something resembling a normal schedule for uploading? Who knows!**

 **Now, onto the reviews, then the chapter!**

 **TheOrangeLord: Hey, long time no see! Yeah, I know, a lot of people miss him, I do too… But his spirit still linger in the world, in more ways than one.  
**

 **WesternFail: That it has my friend, that it has. Better late than never! And yes, Sam has finally been introduced, and how he interacts… well, I think you'll find out soon!**

 **Hjof257: I was actually rather scared about that, that the chapter would come through as too boring or full of filler, but I'm glad to see that some people liked the fact that it was a lot more dialogue and character. And don't cha worry, perhaps I will make a reference to that (probably not).**

 **#PatienceMyFriendSheIsComing**

 **Now, let us delve right into the next chapter!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

 **Gift from the Stars**

 _ **Find the heavenborn gift from the stars**_

When morning came, Elly and company were all up and ready to go, having eaten and packed provisions for the trip ahead of them. They were to head west, and then south, down a peninsula that would take them to the more arid area of Unova, where the meteor had landed. It would've normally taken a day or two but they were provided with a carriage that would take them there much, much faster. They were predicted to be there by sunset, which all things considered, was a pretty good place, and was fantastic for the group, since not one of them had gotten much sleep the previous night.

"This is the last time I'm sharing a bedroom with you I swear, next time, it'll be the way it should've been: males in one room, females in the other."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

"Yes, yes it was THAT bad. I didn't expect for the beds to be so compact… How long have you gone without a shower?"

"Just like, a day, what's wrong?"

"A day?! And today makes it two I guess? Ugh, being in that carriage is going to be a nightmare…"

"Well, you don't exactly smell of pecha berries and flowers! Or… at least you don't completely smell of that." Nox sniffed himself. "Is it really that bad?"

"Nox…" The Eevee sighed, and shook her head. "Just don't worry about it, but please, at this point it's not just for me, or the others, but yourself as well: be mindful of your personal hygiene. You were the one that brought up that you wanted to change the way you interacted with girls before we left, remember?" He nodded, making her smile. "Well, here's your very first, very basic tip of advice: shower once a day, either when you go to bed, or when you wake up in the morning. It'll make it so people don't actively have to hold their breath."

"I mean… you're complaining a lot about me, but it's not like Eric's much better…"

"He's got longer and thicker fur!" She blushed for some reason, and before Nox could press the matter, Zed and Lucy met up with them. Seemed they hadn't slept a wink either. Lucy silently greeted them with a nod, whilst Zed came around with a silent 'Good morning' and left sulking. Whatever they'd been talking about in the morning hadn't come out the way he'd planned it, it seemed. After stashing away everyone in bags and into the carriage, the group got on, and set off, lead by two serious looking Zebstrikas, exchanging some short banter between themselves before their clients hopped in, and off they went.

Unfortunately, because of their early departure, they were unable to hear the news that the jail cell where Sam had been locked up the evening prior had been completely busted up, the bars bent out of shape, and the jailor knocked out cleanly before he strode out of the building during the switch between the day and night shift.

* * *

"Is it just me… or is Unova just as boring as Sinnoh?" Nox asked as he was looking out the window constantly, expecting there to be at least something interesting to look at. Unfortunately for everyone, himself included, there were mostly plains and trees to look at, though every so often there was the eventual mansion, but it was gone in the blink of an eye, they were moving quite fast, after all. "What's up with all these gaudy looking buildings though? Like, talk about overkill, some of these are insanely big and complicated looking."

"Nox… those are plantations. With Hoennian slaves."

"'scuse me what." He did a complete 180 and faced Elly, who was glancing at Zed and Lucy, sitting on opposite sides of the carriage. "Slaves? Like… seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." This time Lucy spoke up, with that now almost signature irritated tone. "Didn't you know that slavery is legal here in Unova? As if those poor bastards in Hoenn didn't already have it bad enough…"

"Wait, so, when did this happen?"

"A long time ago, Nox." Elly picked up where Lucy left off. "After the last war, Hoenn being the stage of another confrontation between Unova and Kanto, both started to set up spheres of influence there, and along with them, Johto too. Whilst Kanto opted to simply keep them in check and have it as a sort of "buffer" against Unova, both Johto and Unova took the opportunity to start pillaging and pilfering everything they could find. And that included the locals. Most of them, at least."

"Ain't the world just a fuckin' peachy place… This whole thing reminds me of somethin', you know? That fucked up guy that tried to stop us before we went down in the ruins under the desert. I'm starting to understand why they decided to ally themselves with those assholes. Most of us are just sitting here with our arms crossed and doing nothin' to make the world a better place." She looked out the window, and at a plantation going by. "Big fuckin' joke, that's what we all are, fucking useless…"

"Nobody's useless, Lucy!" Zed suddenly cut in, but that shout died halfway through his throat, and most came out as a mere whimper. The only reaction he got out of her was a twitch of her ear. "Even if other people say it, it's not true…" The air in the carriage grew somehow more uncomfortable than before, and Nox remained strangely silent from that point onward, staring at those manors with just a hint of contempt. The minutes went by, silenced returned to the carriage, but Elly was still bothered by Zed's reaction.

" _Hey._ " She called him through a newly formed psychic link, the Zorua glancing at her, unaware she hadn't actually physically spoken. " _Wanna talk about it?_ " The lack of her moving her lips told him what was going on.

" _Talk about… no, don't worry, I'm fine…_ "

" _Look Zed, I'm a psychic, but I don't need to use any powers to tell that something is very wrong between you and Lucy. She's been… off, ever since she came back from visiting her family._ "

" _Wonder why…_ "

" _Don't sass me like that._ " She glared at him, and the Zorua's eyes dropped again, making her feel guilty almost immediately. " _This is all a very… touchy subject, for most of us at least. What happened there was a tragedy, and I'm not asking for her to move on almost immediately… but everytime I look at her I see myself back when I was at my most desperate… but worse. Way, way worse_."

" _We were younger back then, it was easier for us to do stupid things then, without thinking too much… She's strong though, I know that._ "

" _And I know that too. Hell, she was probably stronger than I was back then. How many times did I try to jump off a cliff… it's embarrassing, in a way. So much to do and live for and I was just blinded by negativity in those moments._ "

" _Still think that's because we were younger then…_ "

" _And even so, what I'm seeing in her right now is reminding me of that… and I don't how to make sense of it. You know her better than I do. I'm concerned for her too, greatly. She's my best friend._ " A single long look straight into his eyes said everything else that needed to be said.

" _She's… told me some stuff in private, Elly… and I don't want to betray that privacy. She's not ok, I know that, we know that, she knows that too. She's always pretty ambiguous about it too, but if I had to take a guess… it mostly has to do with how things… ended, with her father."_

" _That much I could guess. I'm sorry I'm asking you about this Zed, but I'm her friend, and I'm very worried for her and her mental state, because she's not ok, and it's paining me to see her like this. I want to do something for h-"_

" _I'm already doing all I can."_ He suddenly got defensive. _"I'm trying my hardest to support her, but I can tell that it's not enough, but I don't want you to get in between Elly, because… she trusted me with this information, with what I know, and what happened, and I don't want to betray that trust."_

 _"Not even to me? I care about her just as much as you do!"_

There was a long silence between the two, but the Zorua shook his head. _"Zed, please…"_

 _"Elly, stop insisting, I'm not going to tell you! What you're asking is just too much, and I told you I feel I'd be betraying her trust!"_

Elly closed her eyes, knowing he was right… but still, what could she have told him that he was so vehemently defending her? Why couldn't he trust her? It was too many worries that they eventually got the better of her. " _My father wasn't a good man either. Hers didn't sound like father of the year material."_ She got silence from Zed for a bit, before he sighed. " _It… isn't as much about her father, or her mother. It's complicated Elly. If she wants you to know, then she'll tell you eventually, but until then, I'm not going to talk about the rest of her family."_

Elly fell silent after that, and didn't attempt to continue the conversation, she just… looked out the window, deep in thought and troubled over that last line: Lucy had never brought up her family with Elly outside of loose comments… but neither had Zed, or Serge, or Nox… And Jake didn't really have a family to begin with. The only one who had openly spoken and whose story was known to everyone else in the team was… her. She was overexposed compared to the others. She glanced at the other pokémon in the carriage with her, seeing them under a different light. Her teammates… and also complete strangers.

* * *

After taking a short nap, Elly found herself woken up by Lucy, who shook her as she got off the carriage, following Zed and Nox. Outside, they were standing on the edge of what seemed like desertic lands, grass withering and dying, becoming little spots of green that became less and less common as one went in, and only barren rock appeared to fill the horizon, with hills and more dried up grass and bushes littering the barren, worn road that extended beyond them. "Road's too rocky and dangerous for us to continue from this point onward. We will be heading back now." One of the Zebstrikas regretfully told them, having to leave mainly because of their other assignments. "Call the guild when you need to be taken back to the city, and be safe. The tribe that inhabits these lands doesn't take kindly to strangers."

"Tribe?"

"Yes, the Haleno tribe. Mostly steel, rock and ground types. Territorial, but they know the language, and if you explain the situation, I am sure you will be able to convince them to let you pass through." Elly thanked them for their services and advice, and with that, they turned around and headed back the way they came, the group turning to look at the badlands before them.

"Reminds me a bit of the savannah… except, you know, even more baren, if that's even possible." Lucy pointed out as she began walking, taking the lead and hissing from how hot the dirt path was. They could do nothing but grit their teeth and bear it before they got used to it however. At the very least, Nox didn't have any issues with it, as they began moving under the blistering sun.

"I mean, this entire place seems pretty boring as well… and here I thought it couldn't get worse. There's like, no forests in this region, and I've only seen a couple of rivers."

"Well, we are near the south-west peninsula, which is just a bit higher in latitude than Crimsand, and…"

"Yaaaawn." Was Nox's response to this tidbit that Elly thought was pretty interesting, since she thought he should know where they were geographically, and understand why the landscape was that way… But alas, it seemed she didn't know what he was like, or understood him, a sensation that was once again starting to bother her. "Like, I get it, but it doesn't make a half-desert landscape any less boring." He even tried to lessen the blow, but Elly was back to sulking, and made the Houndour confused, and feel slightly bad. Really, not a single pokémon in the group was feeling alright, mentally or physically, as they were either hungry in Nox's case, and hungry and about to get sunstroke in the case of Elly, Zed and Lucy, the three of them huffing and panting only thirty minutes into walking, and not a single sign of civilization, or anything that cast shade on the path they were walking.

"How long… does this go on?! Feels like we've been walking for hours… I'm frying over here…" She looked over to Nox. "Make yourself useful and get in front, and we'll stand in your shade!" Nox looked at her, confused, but did as he was told. "...actually, scratch that, definitely don't want to be staring at your ass… Zed, honey?"

"I… don't think I can do much, and transforming is going to be impossible if I can't concentrate… besides, if I become bigger, I might very well get a real bad heatstroke."

"Ugh, damn it… Elly?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean 'huh?'?! You're the one leading us, at least try and come up with a solution, or we're all going to end up like those berries Nox burnt to a crisp last week!"

"Hey they weren't burnt, they were smoked!"

"I think you were the one who was 'smoked' that day, those berries looked as black, crispy and tiny as your brain! Like, they were seriously fucked."

"Well, they tasted good for me…"

"Because you're a fire type! You could be fed hot flaming garbage and you'd still gobble it up!"

"Hey cut it out, I haven't even opened my mouth today, and you're already getting this pissy with me?"

"She's getting pissy with everyone today Nox, just don't mind her…" Zed's remark was met with a snarl from Lucy, which normally would've made him shut up, but this time, he seemed he'd had enough with her attitude. "What? It's true, you've been doing nothing but jump down our throats these past few days!"

"Well, you're all getting on my nerves and being annoying!"

"The fuck?" Nox burst into the conversation. "The fuck are you talking about, we're annoying? You're getting up in our faces about bothering you when we ask if you need something or need help. It's like going through a fucking minefield with you!"

"Oh, so you're trying to tell me that you're not an annoying little shit that's always getting in the way? 'Oh, oh look at me, I'm fifteen but I still can't fucking cook some berries right for the life of me or my partners, nor can I listen to my boss when he tells me to stay back!' That kind of person is trying to tell me how I should behave, specially when I'm this pissed off?!"

"Oh excuse me if your daddy passed away when you called him a right piece of shit, which to be honest, is so often the case with everyone around you I'm starting to doubt he really deserved it." Nox barked back, making Lucy's fur crackle with electricity in pure rage. Seeing how things were escalating, Zed turned to face them, then face Elly, as if asking for help. The Eevee was looking at them too, in a mixture of impotence, fear and anger. Because she didn't know what to say, things were already so far gone and so twisted with Lucy that her attitude was getting to everyone, but Nox had the shortest fuse, and was about to blow up… and there she was, having absolutely no idea on what to do or say to calm everything down, and avoid hurting feelings or making everyone's anger fall right on her too.

"Nox, Lucy please cut it out, we are in the middle of a-"

"Fucking say that again, you asshole." She turned around on a dime, ignoring her mate's words and facing Nox. "Fucking say it again. Say it. SAY IT!"

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Elly ended up screaming at the top of her lungs, almost cracking her voice because of the amount of stress going through her body right now. "I can't deal with all this pressure, and all this tension in the air right now! None of us can, or are helping the situation in any way, and we're just fueling the fire!" She said this whilst looking at Nox, who huffed and turned to look away. Then came Lucy's turn and… again, she had no idea what to say… so she said something she was afraid would backfire on her. "And you… Honestly, I don't even know what your deal is anymore. I get it, losing a family member like that is terrible, and the choices you took weren't the right ones, but you aren't the only one who's gone through it!"

"He died like, three days ago!"

"You were given an option on whether to come or not to come on this mission Lucy, and you said yes, so don't pull the sadness card on me, because you had your chance before we left and you didn't use it!" At this point, Lucy didn't have a remark, or could say something that would either make her look stupid, or downright insane. "So the fact that you're complaining so much, being such a massive bitch and a pain in the ass for everyone here because you can't deal with your personal issues is entirely on you!"

Lucy bit her lip and tried to stay quiet, but eventually she just couldn't keep it quiet. "Well, I'm doing my fucking job so I don't have to feel as much of a piece of shit for essentially killing my father!"

"Wha… Lucy, that's not true! I saw it with my own eyes, he was already dying, what you said wasn't wha-"

"The hell it wasn't!" Her eyes looked somewhat teary. "I know that bitch was the one who said it… but I can't help but agree at this point." Everyone fell silent after this remark, and Nox felt outright guilty for pushing the Shinx's boundaries with his words, sighing and walking ahead, muttering to himself as he went ahead. Zed hugged her, and tried to comfort her, as she shook in his hug, and Elly sighed, trying to think of ways to improve the situation or at least make it so they weren't as miserable. That's when she finally came up with a solution for the sun problem: she summoned her dark matter, and made like a little parasol above their heads, floating there and keeping them constantly in the shade, whilst Nox walked forward still, fuming and muttering to himself, but otherwise unbothered by the harsh sunlight. She at least got a smile from Zed and a devastated look from Lucy, earning the two of them a nod, and continuing onward, standing under the shade, as they seemed to talk to each other through their psychic link.

The group continued onward, walking through the barren road, not a soul in sight, and only the sun to keep on shining and attacking them, so much so that Nox eventually slowed down and sought shelter under the cover of Elly's dark matter, and while it helped against the sun, it did nothing to stop the heat. "This is horrible… At this rate, my dark matter is going to start bubbling above us."

"Wait… can that happen?" Nox innocently asked, and Elly's response was… a shrug.

"Never really held it out like this and for so long… but I'm going to take a guess and say no. Still, I can feel the heat on it, and it's as hot as a frying pan, so don't even try to touch it." At this point it was becoming yet another issue, as if the sun wasn't enough for them to deal with.

"Fuck me, this is horrible… Wait, over there!" Nox pointed forward excitedly, at what seemed to be two structures! They were tall, and in the distance, they looked somewhat like buildings! The group, excited, hastened their pace, but as they approached and the shapes became more defined, they realized that it was anything but civilization: two spires of rock, about ten meters tall each, stood before them, shapes and writing carved into them, and a rope of dried up twigs coiled together, from which hung two things: the first, were short and wide strips of tree bark with white rune like writings, and long strips of paper, some of it old and yellow, others new and white, but all of them with long strings of those same symbols.

"Looks like some sort of spire… or entrance." Elly commented, looking from a distance whilst Nox approached and looked around, poking his head through the curtain of papers, and moving through. "Look at those letters as well… I haven't seen them before, like some sort of local dialect."

"Might be just that. Looks like the tree bark spell out something, but the papers… they all end in the same letters." Zed got closer as well, Elly and Lucy approaching too, and looking at the curtain up close. "Nox, do you see anything on the other side?" There was no response. "Nox?" Again, no response, Zed frowning and looking at Elly and Zed, unsure of what was going on.

"Nox, are you there?" They heard nothing from the other side, and at this point, they moved through… and he was right there, looking around. "Nox!" The Houndour jumped out of his skin and bolted his head back to look at Elly's head, poking through the paper sheets, Lucy and Zed following through. "Answer when we call you!"

"What are you screaming at me for?! You literally just called me!"

"Nox, I called you three times in a row, and you didn't answer to any of them!"

"Huh… really?" He looked genuinely puzzled, which made them confused, since they'd thought he'd been messing with them. "Must've not heard it… anyways, look at this!" He pointed to the rock spires, specifically the shades that they projected, the perfect place to eat lunch, as he proposed it. The others found it hard to agree with him, as they'd been walking for a long time and were hungry, so some rest was appreciated by all of them. They sat down and got to chewing through their provisions, part of them at least, a hearty meal that'd revitalize them, followed by a short break, following the shade as the sun moved above them, sitting right besides the curtain of paper, Elly taking the time to look at it closer.

Zed was right, many of the paper strips ended in the same set of words, and there are signs that some had been there for many, many years. She couldn't hope to understand them, however, the writing was completely alien to her, even with her knowledge of languages from her extensive reading. "Must be some kind of local dialect…"

"If only Jake was here." Zed spoke from the ground, sitting right besides a resting Lucy and a snoring Nox. "He'd be having a field day with all of this." Elly smiled and nodded, the Sneasel would be enjoying all this…

"Bar the heat, of course." Nox's comment was true indeed, the Zorua chuckling.

"I think he'd pull through just for this kind of stuff." Lucy chimed in, and looked at her mate.. "What do you think it is?"

"It looks like some kind of gate. Like a sort of entrance to an area or region. Think the entrance to Treasure Town, even if its a bit far away from the town itself, you have an entrance of sorts to tell you that you are now entering the vicinity. And that's where you can find farmers and the like, and further in, the town itself. So I think this is something like that… but I don't get the papers."

"They look like Johtenian prayer slips." Elly looked at him, then back at the papers. "Like, I know it's difficult to see the relation… and kind of racist, but when I saw them for the first time that's the first thing that came to mind."

"Honestly, I can kind of see it. I don't know why a tribe in the middle of nowhere in Unova would have these kinds of prayer slips, but…" Since she was looking at the papers, she could see through the gaps when they swayed in the wind, and in one of these movements, she spotted a figure moving towards the "gate" they were resting at. They were utterly massive, moving at a slow, yet determined pace. "Hey, heads up, someone's coming." Zed straightened and elbowed both of the pokémon sitting besides him.

"Wh-wha… are we moving?" Elly motioned him to stay quiet, looking through the papers, and he got the gist of what was happening, snapping up and looking through as well. "Who the hell…"

"Might be one of those tribe members the Zebstrikas told us about… you think they could lead us?"

"Doubt it, they said they were territorial… if anything he might just be pissed off at us for trespassing into their lands or something like that. Let's keep it cool, and try to talk it out." They waited there, the sun making it difficult for them to tell just who or what they were until they were extremely close… which was when they recognized the figure as Sam, the Krokorok they'd met in Pontavicel. "What the…"

"What's he doing here?!" Nox's question was what hinged on all their heads, but Elly already had a bad feeling about this guy: not only had he followed them, but he also had one of those symbols on the back of his claw, and was one shady character.

"Get ready for a fight… I think this guy might be with the Pursuer and his posse." Just that was enough to kick everyone into high gear, scrambling and getting into position: Zed transforming into a Joltic and climbing up on the pillars and waiting for him there to pounce from above, Elly hiding behind the left pillar, and Nox and Lucy behind the right. They waited to hear his steps as he stomped towards them… but they never came, even when they honed their hearing, not a single sound was heard. They all stood around, waiting, and shuffled around, Nox glancing at Elly, the Eevee shrugging back and shaking her head, even herself was unsure of what was happening.

She peeked her head from behind the pillar and glanced at the curtain… and spotted Sam just standing there, looking at it, and saying something, as if he was muttering to himself, yet not making a single sound. It was certainly bizarre: he was talking, and quite obviously loudly, if the way he was gesturing and opening his mouth was any indication, just looking and glancing around, shifting to one side, and to another, swatting a hand at the papers. Elly hid as it parted, the Krokorok coming through. "...piece of shit, can't see anything past this garb-" His arm was then gripped by a water string, stretched outward and slammed to the ground, groaning and looking at Elly, as Zed come down, transformed into a Scyther a putting a sword arm to his throat, and Nox and Lucy coming out with electricity and fire ready to blast Sam, the Krokorok groaning and struggling briefly… before recognizing the group. "Oh, it's you lot. Was wondering where the fuck you were."

"We weren't. Honestly, we were expecting you to sit tightly in your cell under the guild decided on what to do with you, but breaking out was a pretty big mistake, now you're most likely a fugitive … Your second mistake was coming after us with hopes that we wouldn't be able to beat you to a pulp and then take you back for information on those bastards." Elly kept him there, whilst Zed kept that knife to his throat, making ground type hesitate and groan.

"Could harden my scales and get out… But I don't wanna fight ya, y'all are something special, and I get the feeling if I fight you lot I'm gonna get sent packing. Usually, I'd be all for that, but not today I'm not, no sir. Got bigger fish to fry than you small fry." His speaking manners were… odd, to say the least, but they all retained their composure… somewhat, Nox just blinking at looking at him confused.

"And we're supposed to believe this why? If you had other things to do then the last thing you'd do is follow the good guys to the ends of the region and into a desert. Like, you are not fooling us, asshole." Sam glared at the Shinx.

"Oh, you know, like, you're an asshole too, you like, total bitch. Is that what you speak like? Putting "like" in front of every sentence, you pissy bitch?"

"What did you just call me?!" This was starting to look like a repeat of the previous discussion… except that Sam really didn't give a rat's ass about Lucy.

"Yea, you heard me… you know what, don't need to pay attention to a dumb bitch like yourself…" He looked at Elly. "Ya look like you got some idea on how to lead a group, and basically their nanny, so Imma say again, that I ain't out to get any of you, or wanted to hurt you, or have a fucking clue who this group that you lot are fighting in the first. I jus' wanna find someone, and I got a feeling if I stick with you lot I'll come across 'em. So that's why I broke out, and chased after you."

"You speak as if we had to give in to your demands. As far as I can tell, you're not exactly in a bargaining position right now."

"Not right now, but I could be if you lot keep on being arseholes 'bout the whole thing. I wanna come along, and that's final, ya got that?" He didn't seem to understand the idea that they didn't trust him.

"God your skull is thick… We're not going t-" The Krokorok suddenly shifted his head down, dragging Zed a bit, and placed his ear against the floor. Just as he'd told them earlier, the scales on his neck were hardened, but during the motion Elly noticed how he held his breath, at least until Zed jumped off, reverting to his normal form. Before he could even respond or point out that the ground was shaking, the vibrations became enough for the group to notice, and several pokémon burst out of the ground: two Durants, an Aggron and massive Excadrill, followed shortly by a bulky Seismitoad, the ground lightly shaking as the goliath stomped around.

"Stop right where you are, strangers!" The Excadrill, large and intimidating, with white markings on his shoulders and his chest, like runes and curves, pointed his sharp claws at them, looking just about ready to pounce them and fight, whilst the members of Team Star all raised their paws as a sign of peace, knowing that these were the locals they'd been told about, given his strange accent and the fact that every single one of them was a steel type.

"Hold on, stop! We are not here to do you harm, we ar-"

"Stand down! You stand down, or we swear we shall show no mercy!" He cut his vowels short most of the time, very rough speaker, his voice booming as he stared Sam down, the Krokorok returning the glare. "Are you deaf?!"

"Nah, I'm hearin' ya, jus' don't feel like it."

"Why y-" He charged the Krokorok with those claws, moving unnaturally fast, aiming to clobber him over the head with those metallic claws… which bounced off with the sound of metal striking metal, sparks flying off as he was grabbed by the fur of his neck right afterwards, and Sam rose a fist, all in awe of those around him, closing each finger very slowly, and every scale on it… seemingly giving off a sheen, reflecting the light of the sun, hardening.

"My turn." The impact of the fist against his shoulder was so loud the soundwave shook the sand and made a cloud of it fly as he was hurled flying and spinning, roaring in pain as he tried to reangle himself, burying a claw into the ground and managing to stop his movement… about fifty feet away from them, clutching his chest and coughing profusely. Before things escalated further and that mountain of a Seismitoad struck, Elly stepped in between.

"Stop this already!" She turned to Sam. "You want to collaborate, then here's your first order: get on your fucking knees!"

"Wh-the fuck?! Now you're telling me that you wanna work together?! Now?!"

"Why are you so fucking slow, just do what she says, you moron!" Lucy had stepped away, stressed out, with Nox swearing and telling Sam to do what Elly was saying.

"Hey, shut up you b-"

"Samuel, just do it already, you'll ruin everything!" The Eevee still kept her paws raised, and the Krokorok, after debating it for a bit, and seeing the ground and steel types before them stopping their advance, did so as well, kneeling down with his hands up. "... if you haven't already that is." The pokémon around them looked very much unhappy, inspecting the group, their eyes laying on the Eevee herself, who returned their glares. They muttered between them in a strange language, and their whispers turned into shouts as the Excadrill approached, responding to their shouts, limping towards the group, glaring at Sam.

"You punch hard, stranger. Remind me to return the favour at a later date… as for you." He looked down at the Eevee. "Blue eyes…" He motioned to the Aggron, who moved behind Elly, and before she could react, forced her left paw down roughly, bending her body down and making her yelp as she was pinned down. "And the mark. Just like the Champion and the elder foretold." She was let go, her fur a mess now, huffing as she returned his stare.

"Are you done? Can we speak now?"

"You may, Stranger. But now this: you, you and your friends, are not welcome in these lands." He pointed to the back of her paw. "None who bear that accursed mark may cross these lands again, no matter their purpose or the virtue in their hearts. If you still pursue your quest here, then it shall be up to the elder to decide." Elly didn't answer straight away, weighing his words and their implications. She didn't want to spend too much discussing what it was he meant with that, and instead opted for the safest bet.

"My name is Elizabeth Star, and I am the co-leader of Team Star." That got no reaction from them, as she already expected. "We come here on the behalf of the Exploration Team Federation, more specifically called to the site by the Pontavicel Guild, who wished to send someone to investigate the meteorite that landed just a few days ago in your lands, and asses the damage." Her words earned her some muttering, and a scowl from the Excadrill, his arms crossed over his chest, huffing and coughing still, but bearing it with a grin all the same. "We come here in peace, and purely for research purposes. If you may let us-"

"You shall be taken to the elder, then." He cut her off, enjoying the look on her face. "I was clear, was I not? About sending you to the elder should you require anything other than us scorting you out of the badlands. Stand up, and keep your powers to yourselves… and your friend there…" He approached Sam, circling around him… then suddenly shoved his fist into his gut viscerally, earning a pained grunt for him, which… he recovered from almost immediately, grinning at the Excadrill. He chuckled, and rubbed his chest. "I like you." With that, he snapped his claws and pointed onward, leading the pack as he and the tribal pokémon surrounded the group, and escorted them deeper into the badlands. The terrain around them became rougher, with a slight incline heading down, a sandy slope of sorts that headed towards a vast canyon.

* * *

The terrain, while at least unique in a way, was still terribly dull, giving the group ample time to inspect the tribal pokémon closer: many of them had markings and writings akin to the ones they'd seen on the curtain of papers at the spires. They saw three more of those, two amid the vast desert, and another right at the entrance to the path that leads down the cliff face of the canyon. Before each of them, the pokémon stopped, and got on one knee, crossing their arms and mumbling something, before walking through.

" _What are they doing?_ " Nox, curious, and the closest one to one of the ant pokémon, inquired. " _They keep muttering in that weird tongue._ "

" _Must be their language, and if I'd wager a guess… they're praying, or thanking something, or someone._ " Elly answered this when they walked through the last curtain of papers, an overwhelming feeling of safety, wellbeing and serenity overcoming them all, progressively becoming stronger with every gate they passed, until they finally came to the edge of the canyon, allowing them to see down it.

 **(Rito Village (Day) - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild)**

Rope bridges stretched from side to side of the canyon, connecting both faces as houses had been dug and sculpted into the rock, pokémon coming in and out, walking across the rope bridges, large windmills spinning and blowing, some connected to what looked like lifts that descended all the way down, where they dipped into the water of the river flowing beneath, and then carried it back up, distributing it through wooden canals that flowed downward to each house. One on each cliff face, spread across the entire village, with three different levels: the highest, near the top, the lowest halfway down the ravine, and the one between them, rope bridges allowing one to traverse to lower or higher levels.

"Woah… This is so cool!" Nox had finally found something that looked at least mildly interesting, the village stretching for a kilometer, suspended over the ravine beneath, filled with vegetation, albeit it looked mostly like farmland, likely their only food source, outside the rare white tree that somehow grew in the badlands they'd just travelled through. As they reached the entrance proper, two guards, large Aggrons moved out the way to allow the Excadrill passage, who turned to look at Nox afterwards.

"Not many say that when they first gaze upon Haleno."

"We come from another region entirely, Sinnoh. It's nowhere near as advanced as Unova and… well, villages and small towns are the norm there. Nothing to this scale though."

"So, the strangers are stranger still." He looked at them, amused. "Come all this way to investigate a meteor, then? Must say, sounds like a fool's errand." He looked skyward. "We've no need for useless stones from the heavens above, when the earth already provides us with what we need: motion, from the air, homes, from the earth, and sustenance, from the water." He looked to Elly. "All else is unnecessary, and pointless."

Elly frowned, deeply disagreeing with him, and wishing to bring up points such as writing, or culture… but she didn't want to sour their relations anymore than they already were. "Well… I won't deny that part of this mission has seemed pointless or… counter productive." She glanced at Lucy. "But still, while you might not have a use for it, we could gain something from investigating whatever it is that landed. If you have no use for it, then we'd be happy to help you part with it." To this however, the Excadrill laughed, and shook his head.

"Heh… you strangers all think the same, that the land is yours to thread and trample upon as you see fit, but are offended when we deny you access to our most hallowed of lands… But I digress, the elder shall inform you of your fruitlessness, and you shall be sent home shortly after."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy asked, annoyed at the cryptic nature of the mole-like pokémon.

"It sounds like the meteor landed somewhere important for them, and won't allow us passage into the area because of it." Zed finally spoke up for the first time they entered the village, and the glances he got from their escorts confirmed his suspicions.

"What?! That's tauros shit! We are supposed to be here on a mission, you can't keep us out of it and make sure we can't even complete it!"

"Well… technically they can, this community doesn't have a formal relationship with the ETF… Given what we were told at the guild and by the Zebstrikas, they have no reason or obligation to let us in." Elly hit the nail on the head with everything, as she was told right after, so they were basically stuck in a village in the middle of nowhere, and the whole trip had been utterly pointless… which sat well with nobody. "It's all up to the village elder, whether or not we can go inspect the landing site."

"Uuuugh, this fucking blows… you mean we've been travelling all this time, and it was all pointless?!" Nox now joined Lucy in skulking and muttering under his breath about how shit this entire trip had been, which really, just didn't help anyone and made the trip even worse. Elly at least contented herself by looking around the village, appreciating both the architectural genius and the clever use of space. She'd noticed yet another type of elevator, beyond the ones that lifted the water from the river, which were empty, and served as a way to transport pokémon and other goods from the bottom of the valley to the top, like small wooden platforms with railings that kept moving up and down ropes, kept in movement by the windmills sticking out of the cliff faces.

"Again, if you have any complaints or wish to amend something, take it up against the elder… I expect he will be telling you to leave real soon, so worry not, it won't be long before you return home to resume your "exploring", as some of you put it."

 **(Stop the music)**

They approached the end of a long bridge, where a large, oval house was located against the far wall of the entire ravine. The dome of the building had an opening, letting the light of the sun through there, a curtain of beads and written papers being the only thing that separated the building from the outside world. There was another guard outside, an Aegislash, his single eye one that made all of them shudder uncomfortably, glaring at the Excadrill. "They come to see the elder."

"I presume to speak of the meteor?" Elly stepped forward to speak up… but the Aegislash rose a single "hand", and silenced her. "Silence. No words need be spoken, or exchanged with one such as I. The Champion is still within, I shall tell them of your coming." As he went inside, they'd hear just the faint noise of two pokémon laughing, before everything was silent again.

"That is still so weird… how are those curtains blocking all of the noise?" Elly was already curious from the first moment they'd seen those curtains, and now that she saw them acting like that right in their face, and with someone who was no doubt learned on these things, her curiosity got the best of her. The Excadrill turned to her, pointing to the papers.

"These are filled with prayers. They ward off evil and keeps us hidden and harder to detect. The badlands are enchanted, the path to our home is hidden by the shifting winds and sand, and will keep any who do not pass through the gates we lead you through. The spirits of the earth keep us hidden, and protect from those who seek to harm us."

"You're all about that protection and staying hidden huh… what's up with that?" Nox's question seemingly fell on deaf ears, curiously ignored by the Aegislash.. "Uh… hello?" Before he was capable of repeating the question the Aegislash came out from the house, and parted the curtains for them to enter. The Excadrill came in first, and the team followed him in, including Sam, who was apparently now an "honorary" team member. As they moved in, they spotted two shapes: one at the back of the room, a shrivelling, old, tiny form of a Bisharp, his eyes fiery and determined, yet nothing could hide the fading light behind them, and in front of them… They were facing his back when they first realized who it was, his right shoulder and part of his back exposed, strange markings and scars along the surface before he pulled up his white and golden cloak, and turned around to face them.

It was Tharmius.

"Greetings, Team Star."

"The fuck?!" Nox was the first to voice his thoughts, whilst the others looked on in shock. "The hell are you doing here?!"

"The very same thing you are: investigating the crash site of the meteor that was spotted approximately five days ago to have fallen down around this area. You can't possibly believe that the ETF is the only organization that is concerned with the wellbeing of the pokémon of this world." He looked at Elly, holding eye contact for a bit, before bowing. "I am glad to see you well, Elizabeth. How is Eric? Recovering from his endeavour against the Parasite, correct?"

"Mind your own business, Tharmius."

"I shall, make no mistake, but I still wished to send the Riolu my kindest regards and wishes for his swift recovery… I have a feeling he will need his full strength very soon." The delivery of that line made the team shudder, and Elly specially felt threatened, tempted to call and check on Eric right away. "I see you still do not trust me, and do not believe that I only have kind and supportive words for your team."

"I don't think our first meeting was a good show of this "kindness" and "support" you're offering us, Tharmius. And if this is the way that you extend an olive branch, then I have to say, it's awfully ineffective."

"Then, let us stay as acquaintances, instead of enemies, or allies. I believe it to be the best course of action for all of us. Don't you agree?" She didn't answer straight away, but her silence was answer enough for him, turning around to face the elder. "These are the pokémon I mentioned would be coming for the same purposes that I did. I suspect that they too, shall be turned away?"

"That they shall, Champion."

"Wait, how'd you kno-"

"I have my contacts, and my men are stationed in every major city in the world, keeping watch and informing me of any notable characters that come through."

"And I suppose we are notable enough." Zed commented, Tharmius responding with a nod. The Kommo-O then turned his head to Sam, who was glaring at him all this time.

"I do not remember them mentioning you… or at least, mentioning your accompanying Team Star. A stowaway, perhaps?"

"The fuck's that mean? You insulting me pal?" He took a step forward, but Tharmius didn't shift in the slightest, even if the Krokorok was about as big as he was.

"Someone who decided to incorporate themselves into the team for their own reasons without really asking for permission. I suspect I've hit the nail right on the head, given your reactions. But let us not delay this meeting any further, the leader of the heathens wishes to speak to you." His comment, however, didn't sit well with the Excadrill, whose face turned to a sour scowl and stomped forward, right in Tharmius' face.

"What did you just call us?! How dare y-"

"You are Heathens. I merely state the facts. You do not believe in God, and renounce his work upon this world. You claim that the land, the air, and the water have a will of their own… which is foolish. A tribe of heathens describes you well, though let it be known, that I do not mean harm or offense with this statement. I merely state the facts."

"Why you-" He looked just about ready to punch Tharmius, while the Kommo-O hadn't risen a single fist to defend herself… but before he hit the dragon type, the elder rose a single hand, stopping the Excadrill in his tracks. "Grandfather, wh-"

"The Champion speaks the truth, regrettably… Let him, and his beliefs be. And avoid any confrontation with him, he far exceeds the power that any mortal in this world should ever be able to wield." The steel type looked at his leader, then back at Tharmius, and scoffed, storming to the back of the room and leaning against the wall, hidden in the shadows, scowling at Tharmius. The whole scene was kind of surreal: he was a stranger, just like them, so what had he done or said to gain so much respect and control over them? "Now, strangers, come forth, and I shall tell you the same that I told the Champion."

"Lemme guess, we can't go check out that meteor, eh? Well you can shove that right up your ars-"

"Don't talk to the elder like that!" The Excadrill suddenly slammed forward and hit the back of Sam's head, catching him off guard and making him growl. "How dare you, I should have you thrown into jail!"

"Perhaps you should." Tharmius chimed in. "While these four are here on the grounds of exploring and investigating, you my friend are a true stranger. An anomaly even. They have no reason to trust you, and I shall not vouch for your innocence. You are to leave at once, or stay in prison until tomorrow and leave at the crack of dawn, when the trip back will be far easier." The dragon type got a glare from Sam, and the two looked at each other for a long time… and to everyone's surprise, Sam backed off, scoffing and looking away.

"Fuckin' whatever… yeah sure, I'll go away, don't got anything to do with this shit." The Excadrill grabbed his arm, but he quickly shoved him away. "Don't fuckin' touch me. Lead the way, but you ain't takin' me, I can fuckin' walk there." The mole pokémon swore under his breath, and lead Sam out of the house, their voices drowning out and disappearing after they went through the curtain.

"Now that he is out of the way… you may sit now, all of you." The Elder invited them to four cushions laid out in front of him, Tharmius sitting to his left, and facing the team, towering over everyone in that room.

"So you really were expecting us then? I guess Tharmius told you that we were coming."

"Yes, that, and that you were heroes with odd powers, who wanted to investigate the landing site of that strange star. While I have no doubts that your intentions are mostly pure, I am sorry to say that you are not allowed to walk any further into our lands."

"The Excadrill mentioned something along those lines. Please, we know it is perhaps too much to ask, but this meteor could be something important, and perhaps even dangerous. We may not know until we check." Elly took the role of talking for the team, since she was the leader, so everyone else started looking around, and taking in the ceramic and wooden furniture, which looked antiquated to them.

"Even so, I must deny you deeper access into our hallowed lands. The star landed in our most sacred of places, the resting place of all those who preceded us, and that have died protecting our village."

"So it landed in your graveyard?" Nox's statement was a gross oversimplification of the importance of these lands, but that was, in a way, the gist of it. "Damn… well, I mean, why are you being so defensive about us, and all this? Like, they're all dead, it's not like we're gonna bothering anyone if we walk around for a bit. Hell, wouldn't you want some hunk of rock gone from that area as soon as possible, so it doesn't bother you while you pray… or whatever?"

"You are far too brash for your own good, child… but you speak the truth. Yes, at a glance, it may seem that we are being selfish, and even foolish… but there are many reasons for us to both deny you access to those lands, and recommend you avoid them altogether, as we have ever since the coming of the star."

"What do you mean?" Elly took over again to prevent more issues or offending the elder.

"We have not entered those lands ever since this meteor crashed, and we have no intentions to, for we fear that what has come from the heavens is a sign of the end, a harbinger of destruction, just like it came thirty years ago." He knew they were going to ask what he meant, reaching down for a cup of what looked like a murky, smelly liquid, taking a long sip from it. "Long ago, a star, just like this one, fell in this area. It seemed harmless, at first, but the spirits were restless, and desired to warn us of the danger… many of us listened, and heeded their words… one, however, did not. He ignored the spirits, and got too close. A metal fragment, like a piece of a larger whole, corrupted him. Before the eyes of friends and family he turned into a monster that set about destroying all in its way. Many died, more were wounded in the struggle to contain and seal it… myself included. My shrivelling body is what remains." He look unwell, and some parts of his were blackened and bent. "Even still, the effects of its presence are still felt, to this day." He looked upward through the window in the ceiling.

The tale was short, but to the point, and Elly and company knew exactly what he was speaking about, all while Tharmius looked on in silence, his presence constantly there, making the air that much more tense. "So as you may understand… we wish to avoid anything and anyone to enter in contact with the meteor. The spirits safeguarded and protected us for weeks before tragedy struck, and we have reasons to believe they would've done so permanently hadn't we intervened. We aim to follow the same course of action. And that, is final."

He laid back and took a long whiff from his pipe, filling the room with the scent of herbs and tobacco, aiming the stream of smoke upward. "My apologies, if your quest has been fruitless. To compensate, we will provide you with a house and food for the night, so that you may leave at the crack of dawn, and never return here. We have no business with outsiders, and we would like to keep it so."

"Well, there's no need, we'll just get out of the village a-"

"Do you think him a fool?" Tharmius suddenly cut in as Zed was speaking and the group was getting up. "Perhaps you did not hear clearly, but he has offered you sustenance and residence."

"Yeah, and we said no. You know what 'no' means, right?" Lucy scoffed back, but Tharmius only chuckled.

"Indeed, I do, but this is an offer you cannot decline: how else will they make sure you do not sneak off into their sacred grounds during the night?" Elly tilted her head sideways, confused, and as soon as she realized what the dragon type was doing, the elder was riled up.

"Is that so?! Then a guard shall be stationed at their door, so that they may not leave! I regret to put such a weight on someone, specially on such a night like the one that awaits… but given that you know them better than I do, and you suggest we do so, then we shall. I shall station one of my best guards."

"Yes, that is the safest course of action… I shall personally escort them to their temporary residence." He stood up, but not before crouching and bowing in front of the elder, and… speaking in their own tongue. This shocked the group, even the elder, who looked at him wide eyed.

"You know our tongue…" He continued that sentence in their tongue, then exchanged looks with the group. "So shall it be done."

"My thanks." Once he turned to face the group, they were all positively fuming, walking ahead of them.

"Asshole." Nox coughed under his breath, the dragon type ignoring his insults and meeting up the Excadrill, informing him of the elder's decision, and just as he had done earlier, speaking in their tongue once again. His reaction to the latter reveal was much more violent than his grandfather, shouting and most likely swearing back at him, though after some silence, and him looking back at the house, he agreed with a nod, then looked at Elly and company.

"You lot, follow me, I'll show you to your house." He was very blunt about his sentence, glaring at Tharmius as he took the position between him and the group, with Elly in the lead, walking close to the edge of the rope bridge, Tharmius doing the same on the opposite end.

"A strange village, do you not agree?" He suddenly spoke out, the Eevee glancing at him. "No children playing outside, no steel types… and it seems nobody is harvesting the vegetables down in the river bank. Why do you think that is?"

"Are you talking to me?" Elly asked, very annoyed that he was even considering starting a conversation with her.

"Perhaps, or maybe I am merely thinking aloud, who is to say…" He took a heavy breath, humming. "At any rate, the air here, contrary to the badlands, is much less arid, and instead fresh, full of life." Elly breathed in at that moment and… he was right, but there was also the scent or something lingering in the air, just as they were moving past one of the empty elevators: the scent of fresh vegetables and fruit. She glanced down again, not a soul was down there, but she could see some of the crops and carts with vegetables… abandoned down there. "A genius mechanism to make those work, they can use them to take themselves and the food up and down, as well as the water, avoiding any unnecessary travels to the bottom… in fact, they've minimized the amount of time they have to spend near the river. And yet… why have they chosen to place lightning rods at the top?" Almost involuntarily, Elly glanced up, and sure enough, they were just going past a large windmill, and at the very top, a rod of iron stuck out like a sore thumb. "Curious, is it not?"

"Well, I'm sure their ornaments or something, now can you stop bothering me? The last person I want to talk with on this world is you, Tharmius."

"Believe me, Elizabeth, I am well aware of that… but sometimes we are forced to look for unlikely alliances, and find companions in the most unlikely of places and circumstances." She glared at him.

"Whatever you're implying, stop. I will **never** , for one second, consider working with or for you, Tharmius. Specially after what you said about my friends."

"Please, you can distrust me, but I assure you there is no need to spread lies such as that one. You've insisted on saying that ever since the trial, haven't you?"

"You approached me, and told me that one of my friends wasn't trustworthy. I know what it is you wanted to do, Tharmius, you want me to start doubting my friends, and the bond between us, but that isn't going to work. We know who you are, and what you want, and we won't let you get away with it." As she finished her tirade, they were approaching the lowest levels… which had the least amount of houses, and soon, they'd learn why: that ever familiar sensation, dizziness, anguish, paranoia, albeit not as intense as in other locations. Even Tharmius tensed up, humming.

"The lowest levels… the feeling in the air, you can feel it too, can you not? Are you piece it together? If so, then, I shall leave you with one final sentence." He broke away from the group. "I was not the one who said such things to you after the trial, and I assure you, from looking at your band of friends, that I have no need to feed such fears: you already do so yourself." And with that, he left, walking through another bridge, swinging and moving as he moved carefully, but constantly, leaving Elly angered, confused, and with a pit in her stomach, knowing that in some twisted, sickening way, he was right.

* * *

"So, this is how we stand: there seems to be a fragment somewhere in the area, potentially two. This feeling that we have… it's similar to what we felt in Banshee Hook, and the story checks out with what happened to that Abomasnow when we saw him." Elly finished cleaning the plates and putting them away as she spoke, knowing that this was just a house they'd been lent for the night, some pokémon lived there and they'd been moved higher to accommodate them.

"Go figure. It's like wherever we go there's one of those things." Lucy complained, resting her head on the table, quite exhausted, Zed right besides her, drinking a glass of water.

"Well, remember what the Abomasnow said. Elementals attract other elementals. Maybe it works the same with us and the fragments?"

"So you're sayin' that's why another one of those things landed right next to this canyon? Well that's some ts luck then. The fuck do we do? Try to get both fragments back?"

"It'd be the best course of action. It'd make it so they do less damage to innocent pokémon, and the sooner we get them, the more powers Eric and I can get for when they really come into hand." She sat down besides them, the kettle on the stove beginning to heat up, making herself some coffee. "Besides, the Pursuer and his men are after the fragments. A fragment in our possession is one less fragment that can potentially go to them."

"Alright, fair enough, just one tiny problem: we're currently stuck inside this house. If you don't already know…" She pointed to the wardrobe of an Aggron standing guard right in front of their door, the same one that had escorted them earlier. He was quite big, that was for certain, and the last thing they wanted to do was make a fuss and risk him call reinforcements. "Fucking Tharmius… why the fuck is he even here anyways?! Fuck him seriously, such an annoying cunt, putting us into this situation, the shit head…"

"Well, he was right in a way, he knew that we were planning on possibly sneaking out during the night and exploring the meteor."

"And then with that story, he probably realized that there were fragments in this area, and boom, he's got a fucking hard on and throws us into jail. I'm telling you, he's with him!" Nox slammed his paw on the table. "Tharmius is with the Pursuer! Remember, we saw an ice sculpture of him before the Hunter showed up!"

"I think we're jumping the gun on that presumption. Like, it would explain… a lot of things, but also open up some holes and questions that we don't have an answer to…"

"Listen to yourself! You're scared! You're scared of him!" Lucy called out, pointing at her friend. "He's gotten you all scared and intimidated after the trial thing! That's what he gained from all that bullshit! He's gotten you, Eric, and almost everyone on the team hanging from a rope on his pinky! He's a menace, he doesn't even have to fight us to try and hurt us!"

"Yeah, so what? He's abusing his power, we've already established that, that doesn't have anything to do with him being a part of this terrorist group."

"It means the world! Why would he want to abuse his power to screw us over unless he has some kind of ulterior motive?! And the reason why he has such a motive is because he's with these assholes! Listen." She got off her chair, walking around as if making a point. "He is the one behind the attacks. He orders them, probably to his lackey, who we can guess is the Pursuer, or hell maybe HE is the Pursuer! Regardless, he orders the attacks, then he has the Judges come in, fix the issue, make themselves look good, and us like idiots, and begin blaming and pointing fingers, and locking people up, and they get more money and more power! He's out to get us! They all are!"

"...What kind of conspiracy theory is that?" Zed chimed in from the other end of the living room. "I'm sorry, but that's just way too far fetched, Lucy."

"Your ass is far fetched! It makes perfect sense! It gives him a reason to be gaining so much power, and a method! And I'm pretty sure his motive is already obvious enough!"

"So… how is he supposed to hunt me down?" Elly asked. "He said that the Judges' main objective was to put any and all supporters of Blake and the Dark Eons behind bars and make them pay for their crimes, even with their lives if need be. How does him staging attacks play into those plans? Besides, the whole stealing money and locking people up left and right was all on Martin's part."

"That was confirmed?" Zed asked, surprised, the Eevee nodding, and citing the newspaper from memory.

"Yes, apparently Martin owned up to the whole thing being done under the hood, and the police found no relation between some of the higher ups and his suborganization."

Lucy still wasn't convinced though. "And you believe that?" The kettle began whistling and screeching.

"Honestly, given how he reacted, either he and all of his posse are incredibly good actors, or they really were unaware of what was happening under the hood. Either way, no other town has had as many pokémon locked up as there were in Cunabula, so it's safe to assume it was more of a localized event."

"Lies, all of it." Lucy was still convinced of her own conspiracy theory, even if there were some holes in it. It was hard to go argue with it, but to Elly, it all just sounded too simple, and if it were that simple, then someone else would've made the connection before, they had a lot of enemies, not just the ETF. She got up, and turned off the stove, pouring herself a cup of coffee and some milk.

"Well, lies or not, right now we need to focus on the matter at hand: we're stuck here, and we need to find a way out, and to their graveyard before Tharmius does."

"I don't think that's a good idea either." Elly shut down Nox as well, her friends looking at her, confused. "At least, not right now. While we were walking here, I noticed some strange things: lightning rods on the windmills, a noticeable lack of steel types out, or children for that matter… the village looked deserted, nobody was working down in the valley. And remember what the elder said: he didn't want anyone coming out on a night like this."

"So? They're all just paranoid assholes, easy to explain and understand that."

"Not just that Lucy, think of it this way: why would they be so paranoid? They said that they sealed away that creature, which we're going to go ahead and assume it was a Rebscura. But then he also said that its presence is still felt to this day in the badlands. I'm thinking that just like the fragment in Banshee Peak made it so harsh snowstorms came down from the mountain, this fragment is making something else happen in this area… and that coming out tonight is probably a bad idea."

"Then what do we do?"

"We wait, we take turns guarding, and if something happens, inform the others. We need to know what we are up against, and if there's a chance we might be able to walk out at some point in the night, and sneak into the meteor crash site, retrieve the first fragment, and look for the location of the second."

"If Tharmius hasn't already gotten ahead of us, that is…" They could only hope that wasn't the case, Nox himself being the first watch as the others retreated to the bedroom and got as much sleep as they could. Two hours later, it was Lucy's turn… and she would bear witness to the weirdest sight she'd ever seen. Halfway through her shift, the windows would flash, light flooding and filling the room briefly, making her snap out of her half asleep stupor, a steaming hot cup of coffee besides her. She hopped off the table, and looked out the window. She saw a lightning bolt strike down, and to her confusion, not a single cloud in the sky.

"Hey, hey guys! Guys!" She called for the others over and over, the group running over, and catching a glimpse of another bolt striking down… ignoring all of the lightning rods, and hitting down in the valley, the glass window shaking, the Aggron standing guard outside shifting uncomfortably, still very much awake. "That guy's still out there?! He's going to get hit!"

"That's why the elder was so reticent on making someone stand guard… Those lightning bolts are normal at all th-" More struck down, coming in droves, one after another, one hitting a house opposite of the cliff, glass jumping out and starting a small fire that quickly burnt out, another striking a rope bridge on the highest level, snapping it in two as the boards that fell down burnt to ashes, and another striking feet away from the Aggron, who they saw jump backwards in fear and the glass from the window cracking, scaring the team as well.

"Fucking holy shit! Ok, that is NOT normal." Nox screeched out.

"No wonder they're all so paranoid." They all watched in horror as the bridge fell and became undone, and another bolt fell right next to the house. At this point, the Aggron snuck into the house, pale as snow, and sat down on a chair, wiping sweat off his brow, looking at the pokémon he was supposed to keep in the house, panting. "Are you ok?" Elly approached, concerned.

"Yes, yes… Apologies, the state outside as you can see is… dangerous, to say the least."

"Yeah, you don't fucking say… good thing we stayed then, we would've been fried." Even Lucy herself was unsure if she could withstand a bolt like that.

"We have had some unfortunate incidents in the past, back when this all started thirty years ago… mortal victims, and every year someone is hurt, or worse." He covered his face, breathing in deeply.

"This is horrible… why don't you all just leave? It'd be far safer and easier, and I am sure you'd be welcome in Pontavicel as refugees…" The steel type shook his head as Zed kept talking, and eventually he fell silent.

"This is our home… our ancestors lived here, and have protected us. Without their help, those bolts outside would smite us one by one, until no one is left." As if on cue, more bolts struck outside the house, getting even closer, coming from impossible angles, counting three more. A total of five bolts. The exact number of pokémon currently in that house. "We must endure, and keep surviving… these are our lands, and we shall not be dissuaded, or moved by some curse." Even as he tried to sound brave, Elly saw him gripping his sides, and crossing his arms, swaying back and forth on that chair, eyes wide open. She could only imagine the other pokémon in the village were very much like that as well. It was harrowing, to say the least.

Eventually, the bolts stopped raining down, and the Aggron walked back outside, seemingly safe now, for the rest of the night, everyone else looking at the sky in fear. "Those… were not normal bolts. They were targeting us. Targeting everyone in the village."

"Idiots… leaving would be so much easier, and would avoid all this… why does it always have to come down to this? To tradition always holding people back, and making them do stupid shit like this!" She stomped around, furious. "Just because your ancestors did it doesn't mean you have to!" Elly bowed her head down, biting her lower lip and clutching a paw. She knew all too well what her friend meant.

"Lucy, calm down." Zed patted her mate, who breathed and looked at him, sighing.

"Sorry… I just… get really carried away by all this… I'm tired, I think I'm going to sleep."

"That's ok, I'll take the next watch…" Zed offered himself, but Elly shook her head, and took his place. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll be alright. You lot just get some rest, the worst has passed, no doubt." She pushed them into the bedroom, and told them to get some more rest, whilst she sat besides the cracked window, cup of coffee in her paw, as she continued the watch, looking at the sky, at the houses on the opposite face, and the area in front of the house, observing the five black spots on the ground, the last one still steaming from the impact. Time passed at a crawl, the Eevee wishing she'd brought a book or something along with her, since looking out the window was almost as boring as watching paint dry… but eventually, her dutiful watch earned her fruits.

As she was slowly dozing off, her head sinking and raising up, she took another sip of her coffee, watching the Aggron out of the corner of her eye… and it just happened, just like that, she saw him look sideways in a snap like move… and he shot forward, and into the house, sliding across the floor and crashing into the opposite wall, the entire house shaking, just like the papers hanging from the door frame. "Hey!" She screamed out, and jumped off and to the Aggron's side. He was out cold, in just one punch… fearing the worse, and hearing her companions scrambling to their feet in the other room, she turned to the entrance to face off against the incoming menace… and in came Sam.

"Oi oi, fuckin' cool your teats, woman, chill." He rose his arms, attempting to look as least threatening as possible.

"You?!" The others came in just then, replicating the Eevee's reaction, the Krokorok's appearance being the least expected thing that night.

"Yea, me, did ya'll miss me or sumthin'? Thought ya'd need some help with that big 'ol bodyguard, so I clonked him over the head… bit too hard I feel, got sent flying." He entered and moved past a very tense Elly, just brushing her away casually, and crouching besides the Aggron, moving his head and snapping his fingers. "Yea no he's fuckin' out like a candle. Well, sweet dream's what I say." He got up, looking at the team, and crossing his arms. He was utterly massive, just a bit taller than Serge. "So, ya'll ready to wreck some shit?"

"Wreck some shit? Dude, you're already wrecking enough shit! Besides, what the hell do you want with us?! You're a double agent! A spy!" Nox's accusations didn't sit well with the ground type, who tapped his foot on the ground, the house groaning with each tap.

"Again with the 'hole "Yer a fuckin' spy" tauros shit? How many times do I gotta say it: I ain't done nuthin' or got no nuthin' to do with these assholes ya'll keep accusing me of helpin' out. Swear of me fuckin' nan, you lot sound like a bloody broken record." His accent seemed to get thicker the angrier or more annoyed he grew, making his sentences even harder to understand… as if they weren't already, with the large amount of grammatical errors that were making Elly's ears bleed. "The fuck ya want me to do to show ya'll I'm clean? 'cuz I'm willing to do it, except if it involves bending the knee in front of ya'll, 'cuz that can piss right off."

"Oh god… what have we done to deserve this… we're dead meat. Like, come morning, these dudes are going to be absolutely livid with us, and are going to blame US for YOUR fuck up." Lucy's voice seemed to tick off the Krokorok even more, the ground type glaring at Zed, making him whimper and scuttle away.

"Yo. 'tis your bitch?" He pointed at Lucy, and the black fox nodded. "Do us all a favour, shove a yer big 'ol dick in her face and shut her the fuck up."

"Excuse me?!"

"Ok everyone just calm down!" Elly stepped in before Lucy attacked Sam because of his rather… misogynistic comment. "Look, Sam, we really don't know why you wanted to follow us, or came here to knock out our guard, but you must agree that all of this looks suspicious!"

"Suspicious? Bitch please! I already told ya'll, I need to find someone, and you lot could help, so I said to myself. "Ya know what, I scratch my back, and you scratch yours, and that way, we can all get through and get what we want." Ya dig, sister? Or that too hard to understand?" He tapped her head, the Eevee smacking his claw away, groaning.

"First of all, no, it's not too hard to understand, and second of all… it's "I scratch YOUR back, and YOU scratch MINE". And how is this supposed to help us?" She pointed at the still knocked out Aggron, a frying pan falling from the rack and smacking him over the head with a loud clatter.

"Well 'first of all'." He exaggerated Elly's voice and swayed his hips with every word. "Ya'll were fuckin' locked up here, couldn't leave without getting this guy all rile'd up, so I snuck up, and gave 'im a bit of of the good 'ol head clobberin', so now ya'll can leave and we can go check out that meteor or whatevers. And 'second of all', that's what I said, you deaf fuck."

"What?! I'm not…" She groaned in annoyance, sitting down and tugging down on her ears until it hurt, huffing and taking deep breaths with her eyes closed. "Right… just… what you are saying then, is that you're breaking us out? How did you break out, you had a guard outside too, didn't you?"

"Nope, mine was jus' fuckin' gone. Must've run off like a lil' bitch when the thunder started, though I don't think I saw anyone. Just saw that Tharmius dude walk by once, look at me, then fucked off." Elly looked at him, confused, but didn't continue down that line of conversation. "Whatever though, don't matter: we doin' this or what?"

"You want to come along?" The Krokorok rose a fist in response to Nox's question, making him shuffle away. "Fucking what did I say now?!"

"Don't fuckin' make me repeat myself! Yes, yes I want to fuckin' tag alone! I said it already, ya'll scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours, or whatever the fuck you say, I don't give a shit let's just fuckin' go already holy shit. You lot are fuckin' thick for being some explorers like I swear me m-" He left through the paper curtains just then, cutting his tirade short halfway through, the group looking at each other, confused.

"So… what do we do now? Come morning, we're sure as hell gonna get kicked out, and they won't let us come back ever again, since Tharmius will pin what Sam did on us." Lucy was right, it all seemed to have gone tits up without them doing anything… or had it? Elly took a step forward as she thought, and looked at the entrance.

"Well… if we're going to be kicked out and blamed for breaking their laws already…" Tharmius' words, once again, echoed in her mind, hating herself for doing so much as think about him. And yet… "So why not keep going?" She grinned, turning to face her friends.

"What do you mean?" Zed asked, voicing what crossed everyone's minds at that moment.

"Well, as I said, Sam's already going to get us in deep trouble when they come check on us in the morning. So why not just keep going, and do what we wanted to do in the first place? We'll get kicked out if we stay here or go either way, but in the former scenario, we get to explore the meteor landing site, and if it is a fragment, get to retrieve it, possibly the other one if we reach the area of the seal in time." The others quickly caught on, and already Lucy had an issue with the plan. And the name of said issue was Sam.

"Wait, we're going to be working with that asshole then?!"

"Yes. He's strong…" Elly glanced at the Aggron. "Monstrously strong, and tough. But he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, and so far he hasn't really done much to try and directly hurt us unless we aggroed him. If we keep it that way, he could even help us do what we came here to do."

"But that means that we'll have to do whatever he asks of us afterwards." Zed was right, but at that point, they had no other option: it was Sam or bust, since he'd just follow them wherever they went.

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we have to. Besides, he only wants to find out where someone is, shouldn't be that h-"

"Ya'll fucking comin' or what?!" The ground type himself poked his head through the curtain, his voice booming in their ears, and making them all jump out of their skin.

"Yes, we are, just let us grab our stuff first!" Elly hurried the others into the room, and told them to grab their things. Zed did so immediately, whilst Nox and Lucy were a bit more reluctant. However, even they knew that this was most likely the best course of action, even if it meant collaborating with the rather volatile Krokorok, who was eagerly waiting for them outside.

"Finally! Took ya'll long enough!"

"Shhhhh! Quiet down, or you'll wake up the whole village!" Elly hushed him as she walked by, the others joining them shortly, the Krokorok rolling his eyes, now an unofficial member of Team Star it seemed. "Alright… where do we go?"

"Well… judging by how the entire village is laid out, look for anything that looks out of place, or has a lot of those papers all over the place." Zed's idea was a good one, and the group searched high and low. Eventually, Lucy called them, and pointed at the second level: just in front of them, a little to the left, there was a gaping hole in the face of the cliff, large ropes and tree bark banners hanging from it, almost like a warning.

"Looks fishy as all hell. Let's do it then." Sam walked first, going up the bridge taking them to the second level, while looking at the one that had been broken by the lightning. "Bloody 'ell, that lightning was fuckin' weird wasn't it? And not a cloud in the sky." Seemed like as dumb as he seemed to be, he was quite observant. Made sense, after all, one couldn't get far into that world relying just on brute strength.

"How many lightning bolts struck near your house?" Elly asked, out of curiosity, the Krokorok rubbing his chin for a bit, and glancing back at her.

"Think just one of 'em. Why?"

"Nothing, just thinking of something…" The ground type shrugged, and kept moving, leading the band as they got on the other side, and moved along the cliff side and more rope bridges until they got to the cave entrance. It was deserted, not a soul in sight, and no one to keep guard. "Seems like the storm scared off even the guards here."

"How'd you know that?" Nox asked, the Eevee pointing at the black spots on the ground: one of them, but the weapons laying on the ground indicated two guards at least. They all watched in silence, the scene before them unsettling, before Sam broke the silence with his booming voice, clapping his claws.

"C'mon now, no time to dilly dally, ya'll." Nothing seemed to scare or intimidate him it seemed, as he walked into the cave without thinking it twice, the others following him purely out of concern, as they heard him speak from within. "Fuck me, this is as fucking dark as my asshole."

"Do you have to be so crass?" Elly asked, starting to get irritated by the ground type. She didn't get a vocal response, but he most likely gave her a physical one. "Lucy, Nox, can you give us some light?" They nodded, and the Houndour breathed out some fire onto his paws, and Lucy's fur crackled with electricity as she generated some, making two faint lights that together illuminated some of the tunnel ahead of them, Sam letting them go ahead this time, whilst Zed transformed into a Zubat, and opted to use echolocation.

"Damn… you lot are a fuckin' weird group." He just saw Zed transform when he said that, looking at the two pokémon in front of him. "What were your names again? Didn't quite catch 'em."

"Nox, and that's Lucy. The Eevee you should know her name, Elly, and the Zorua is Zed." The Houndour made the introductions short and to the point, keeping his eyes facing forward.

"Roight… well, Nox, Lucy, at least it seems you two are fuckin' useful for somethin' after all, didn't take ya for the kind that were all too bright!" He laughed at his own joke, the duo lighting up the path glaring back at their new companion. "Eh, fuck you, it was a good one."

"The hell it was…" Lucy growled, the Krokorok flipping her off.

"Whatever… so, you lot are an exploration team from Sinnoh? I remember I saw some of ya, and there was an asshole Riolu with you. Where the hell's he at? We got a score to settle." He cracked his knuckles, grinning.

"He was hurt during our last mission, and is back at home, resting, and protected by our other friends." Elly's snappy response came as a surprise to the ground type.

"Oh, really?" He fell silent for a bit, then chuckled. "Would've thought he was a bit tougher than that! Who did 'im in?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Elly didn't appreciate him making fun of her mate like that, frowning. "Why did you say you have a score to settle? Is this about your encounter in Crimsand?"

"Yup. Guy walked away before we got into a fight, and I could see it in his eyes: he's one tough mother fucker. So I wanted to scuffle with 'im, and all… then you lot stepped in and killed the mood. By the way, that was uncool."

"Well, whenever he gets back to full shape, I'll tell him to go out of his way and kick your ass if we come across you again." What should've been an intimidating threat ended up making the Krokorok's grin grow wider, almost as if he was excited about the prospect. "Why are you even looking forward to it? Do you know who he is?"

"Don't need to, I could already tell he's one tough customer. And what can I say, I like fightin', feels good to pound some cocky fucker into the dust. Don't always go picking fights with any old poor sob on the street though, that's kinda fucked up. Guy was looking for a fight, and I wanted to respond in kind." Elly didn't know the specifics of their interaction in the bar, but Lucy had told her that things were pretty tense prior to that confrontation. "You look like a smart gal. Ya like readin'?"

"Huh? Well… yeah, I do. How'd you…?"

"I guessed. Got a pretty good eye, y'know?" He tapped his face right below the left one. "But anyways, fightin' 's just like that for me. A hobby of sorts, but almost everyone I come across fuckin' gets their shit pushed in so far that they're done in two or three hits. 's dull man. That's why I got so worked up back in town, you lot looked pretty competent, and then… Wham! Got hit in the back of the head by that asshole." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Still fuckin' smarts too…"

"You complain about getting hit in the back of the head, but I could've sworn you had a glass bottle and a chair broken on your head, and you look just fine. What's up with that?" Nox was right, Elly did remember Sam just tanking through a glass bottle… not sure about the chair though.

"Well, I couldn't defend from it in time, duh. He snuck on me. For an old geezer, he moved fast." They looked at him, confused. "What?"

"What do you mean 'defended'? Not once have we seen you try to block anything that's hit you!"

"Ah, roight, ya'll are blind… ok, you. Elly right?" He pointed to the Eevee, snapping his fingers. "Do the black thing. You know the one. You pulled it on me earlier, tried to hit me with it. Make it small, otherwise it'll be hard to see."

"What?"

"Just do what I say woman!"

"Don't call me that!" She scoffed, but still did it anyways, making a small Riolu fist replica.

"Alright… you two, might wanna turn around and get close, otherwise we ain't seein' shit here. Closer a bit closer… there ya go. Ok. Now, hit me right there, below the chest. Got it? Hard as you can, but not too hard, don't want to break that thing, or something."

"I think you underestimate how tough my dark matter is."

"Oh just shut up and do it, ya wuss." His constant insults and taunting got to her, rearing that fist back and slamming it into the spot she was told to strike… and through her bond with that fist, she felt it: it was the hardest thing she'd ever struck, even more than iron, it simply didn't budge, hissing as she pulled the fist back, and the Krokorok barely budged. However, once they looked at that spot, they all saw it: a group of scales near his lower chest seemed to have crystalized, reflecting light.

"What the…"

"Cool, eh? I can do that on reaction to anything, so I don't got to block everything. As long as I can see it comin' and react to it, I can just harden that part of my body, and it all just bounces right off." Elly inspected the scales, as they uncrystallized and returned to normal, explaining the ones she'd found on the table, and how he'd been able to defend himself from some of those attacks on earlier occasions, as well as grabbing and almost breaking Eric's light staff.

"I suppose that is cool… was that an ability you got with that weird tattoo on the back of your hand?" Her question went unanswered, but given the nervous glance between his own marking and hers, and a quick shake of his head, she got her answer. The more she learned about him, the less and less likely it felt like he was collaborating with some bigger organization… Could he really be just a loose cannon? A straggler of sorts? She didn't want to make any assumptions yet, but it seemed all the more likely as time went on.

* * *

An hour or so passed before they came out into the open again, the tunnel was long, and went up slightly, and finally they came out to the surface, facing the starry sky head on. There were five stone pillars around the exit of the tunnel, strings of those strange tree branches, ropes, and more of those prayer slips hanging from them, swaying with the gentle, yet arid winds blowing. Before them, rows, and rows of those same stone pires, massive ropes, bigger slips of paper, and covering the spires as well stood before them. They extended to the left, and to the right, and behind them, and didn't seem to have an end to them from where they stood. Nox whistled. "Holy… this place is massive."

"If I'd wager a guess… each of those spires is a grave. They weren't kidding when they said that they honoured the dead." They all looked around, in awe of the incredible pillars that had been erected, those curtains of paper and even cloth in some cases swaying in the wind, large characters, larger than Sam himself, flapping at them, a strange, silent dance. That was something that was incredibly unsettling about that place: the serene, crushing silence, no doubt thanks to the spells written on those slips. "The amount of work that must've gone into this… how did they even build these in the first place?" Elly approached one of the spires as she asked, inspecting it. It wasn't cut out and planted there… it was like the stone around had been dug out with extreme care, and left those pillars behind.

Each pillar had different writings, names no doubt, though the question of where the rubble and dirt had been sent to was very much hanging on their minds. "Each spire is ten meters tall, they're all the same shape and form. They can't be using some sort of mold its just too big. There's about fifteen meters between each pillar…" She began making calculations that nobody in the team could understand, and ended up spouting a ludicrous number of cubic meters of rock that would've been needed to be dug out to make a massive field like that.

"So basically, they dug out a shit ton o' rock and dirt to make graves for everyone?" Sam spoke in an unimpressed tone… most likely because he had a hard time processing just how much stone this actually was. That was a lot of graves, and a lot of ground they'd needed to dig out.

"So wait, now we have to explore this barren ass place?! Seriously?!" Lucy groaned, that was a lot of ground she was being asked to cover, specially when it was still night time. Granted, the sky was completely clear, and there were plenty of stars and the setting moon to light some of the paths. Still, the spires cast long, dark shadows over the ground, and the unsettling air to the whole thing just made everything far creepier than it had to. They could catch glimpses of what lay ahead, through the curtains of paper.

"Hmmm… Zed?"

"On it." The Zorua transformed into a Pidgey, much to Sam's surprise, and flew up.

"Oh, he can do that too?" They all nodded in response, the Krokorok nodding. "Not bad. Kinda impressive."

" _I can see… well, there's a lot of spires, like… a lot of them._ "

"How many? Just tell me, out of curiosity." Whilst Zed into painstaking detail of how big the area was, setting on about two kilometers wide and a kilometer and a half tall, Sam once again looked at Elly confused, as if she was crazy.

"She's got psychic powers, she's talking with Zed."

"Psychic powers too? Bloody 'ell she's like a jack of all trades, ain't she?"

"Yes, very much, thanks for the compliments. Can you see anything weird?"

 _Zed fell silent for a bit, looking._ " _Well… actually, I think I see something, to the north, there's an area where some of the spires crumbled down, and there's an exposed area… I think that might the meteor landing we're looking for._ "

"To the north? Great! Let's head there and…"

" _Wait, there's more. I also see like… a temple ahead._ "

"A temple?" They all stopped and stared at Elly. "How big is it?"

" _It's not that big, it's more like a mound on the ground, but you can definitely see like a shape, like a long square and becoming taller towards the back. I can't really see much else from here… looks like a tomb all things considered._ "

"Or a mausoleum. It could be where they bury their elders or something like that. Whatever the case, that could be where they've enshrined the fragment, so let's go. Come down Zed." She waited for a bit for his response. "Zed?" She asked again, and again, but received no answer. They all looked at her, concerned, and looked at the sky again… and Zed was just flapping down at them like he was running for dear life, transforming back into a Zorua a few feet off the ground and scaring Lucy, Elly reacting quickly and making a flexible water wall, which broke his fall and made him bounce up and down safely. Once he was on the ground, he looked utterly horrified.

"Zed, are you ok?! What happened?!" Lucy was losing her shit, Nox and Elly showing concern whilst Sam looked away, and around, standing upright, and tense.

"I… I saw… I saw something move! Something big!" He pointed to the north! Over there!" They all looked at him, concerned, even the Krokorok turning to face him, raising an eyebrow.

"Was it a Rebscura? Something big and black?" He shook his head no to Elly's inquiry.

"No, it was big… and I only saw it for a split second, it disappeared right after, and I just winged down here. It was big, and white… I don't know, but whatever it was it made my skin crawl."

"To be honest, anything here makes my skin crawl… this place's giving me a bad case of the heeby-jeebies. All of these are supposed to be graves, so we're technically surrounded by corpses." Nox's observation didn't help.

"Oh… yay, that's just the best thing to know at a time like this." Lucy's sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by the Houndour, who stuck his tongue out. Sam cut all of this conversation short with a stomp, then another, stomping the ground.

"Right right… fuck's sake, let's just get moving already. 's a fuckin' graveyard, worst thing we can find here is a bloody skeleton or rottin' corpse, heck, maybe a ghost type. Last time I checked none of 'em are really scary, and we can beat the shit outta the latter, so les' just go, get to that bloody meteor, and get this shit done and dusted!" While he was definitely annoyed, he had a point: the sooner they got moving, the sooner they'd be done there, and could head back to the village.

"The meteor site is a few spires away, and the temple is right ahead as well. But…"

"Hey, that's awesome!I think we might be able to make it back before anyone goes to check on us! Get scot free, and all that!"

"I think you're forgetting there's an unconscious Aggron in our house, Nox. But I digress, let's get moving." Elly took the lead, and the group passed through the first curtain, then the second, the third, continuing onward, losing count… and that was when they saw it: one of the banners had snapped off of the opposite spire, and was flapping to the wind, sometimes slinging up and showing up over the rows of spires. They all turned to face the Zorua, who just blushed in embarrassment, and apologized for his reaction.

"It's ok… just a few more until the crater, right?" He nodded, and they kept walking, the light of the stars making the entire thing that much creepier. Dawn was still some time away, and the moon was sinking under the horizon behind them, casting those shadows in the direction they were moving. Everything seemed to grow into a routine, and they got used to the sight of the curtains, moving them to the side, flapping besides them and revealing yet another identical looking square, bar the different characters… which made any difference all the more noticeable, and any change terrifying. Which was why when the curtain in from of them flew up and flapped violently, a high pitched whistle piercing their ears, just a hint of white flashing before their eyes, all of the curtains around them flying and going mad, the one to their right snapping and breaking, flying above in the air before the sudden current's effect died down, and everything returned to normal, the loose curtain falling to the floor slowly, and resting there.

"Fuck me… That scared the fucking PISS out of me. What the fuck…" Even Sam wasn't safe from the jumpscare, all of them panting and breathing rapidly. They relaxed after a bit, chuckling as the nerves wore off, chucking it up to tension and the wind, and kept moving, giving themselves some time to rest and recover from the jumpscare before moving onward. On the other side, they found that the sand had shifted a bit, no doubt from the wind that had blown by, and as they kept going…

"Ouch!" Lucy yelped and jumped up and away, looking at the ground, spotting just a tiny dot of light that quickly flickered out. "What the…" She moved to the same spot, and it returned. "What's this?"

"Wot's wot." Sam approached, annoyed, and crouched down besides the Shinx, looking at the spot closer… then pushed her away with his tail, and the sheen appeared for him as well. He reached for it with a claw, and hissed as he pulled away. "Fock me, that's some hot glass."

"Glass?" Elly got close, and sure enough, they were tiny spots of glass on the sand.

"Must be from how hot it gets around here, I don't know." Sam sucked on his burnt fingers. "Just keep an eye out, will ya? This shit tends to happen sometimes." They all kept a close eye on the sand from that point onward, and although they found some more spots of glass, they weren't as hot as the first ones. After what felt like ten minutes of nothing but walking, they finally reached the crater. It was a massive hole, having swallowed up one of the pillars and several of the banners, leaving the entire area barren and exposed for at least five squares to the left and to the north. "Hoooly shiiiit. That's a big ass crater."

"That it is…" Elly muttered, taking in everything, and inspecting the edges. Sand had flown into the crater and filled up the centre. "If there's anything here, it's bound to be in the middle, let's get down there." She took the initiative and stepped inside, walking down the rather steep crater and approaching the center, feeling for the sand. Whenever they approached a fragment, she could feel it, it'd happened every time prior, and she expected it to happen this time… but although she could feel that "Miasma" around them faintly, she could not feel the fragment. "Something's wrong…"

"Ya wanna dig through?" Sam asked, coming up to her, and grabbing a handful of sand.

"Yeah, it'd clear up things, but it'll take a long time witho-" Sam didn't let her finish that sentence as he suddenly bent down and dived headfirst into the sand, swinging his arms wildly, and outright digging through, disappearing through the surface and his tail being the only thing poking out, though even that disappeared after a few seconds, and left a sinking hole in the centre.

"Did he just… burrow into the sand?" Nox asked, incredulous.

"I mean, he is a ground type…" Zed stepped into the crater as he spoke, and looked around. This definitely looked like the area he had seen earlier, so everything lined up. "The temple is like eight or nine squares from the last one over there. So we can go check that straight away. After this, of course." They waited for a few more seconds before Elly felt the sand shift, and got off the patch before Sam burst through, buried to his hips, shaking the sand off of him.

"Aight… good news or bad news?" They looked at eachother, confused. "Alright, bad news first: whatever there was down there is gone. There's just sand and rock, nothing else." Elly bit her lower lip, shaking her head, having already sensed something along those lines, while the others got a sinking feeling that Tharmius truly had gotten ahead of them.

"And the good news?"

"Good news is that whatever was down there…" He unborrowed completely. "Is gone." Everyone stared at him, confused. "Just look at this massive fucking crater. What you're telling me about was a dinky piece of metal, and nothin' else. But this… this looks fucking massive for that kinda thing, and this hole down there was way big."

"So what are you saying, that it wasn't a metal fragment?" Everyone's expectations were tempered, realizing that maybe they still had the upper hand, and could still get the one from the temple. "That's… surprising. Then what was it?"

"I'm telling ya, I don't know, it's just gone. Maybe it like, fucking blew up when it crashed, and there's bits and pieces of it everywhere. In fact…" He pointed the way they came as they climbed out of the crater. "Betcha five hundred poké that glass we saw had something to do with it. Fucking huge ass rock came down." He opened his palm and struck it with a fist, and then spread his arms. "Chunks flew everywhere, heated up the sand, we got class, and then what was left was swept away by the wind. Case closed." He cleaned his hands just like that, and moved his head to the way back. "Now let's head back, you lot."

"Wait wait, we still have one more place to check."

"That there temple that Zorua boy over there saw, eh? Yea, figures. Sure, les' do it, after that beeswax's done, I'll tell ya lot what I need help with. Sound good?" They all nodded, since that was the deal, and they'd all agreed to it, one way or another. The group climbed up out of the hole, and continued with their voyage further north, the sun still not rising, and the stars still shining down on their path, whilst the shadows grew longer and longer, until finally, they reached the temple. The front was decorated with statues of humanoid like figures in the same position as the ones they saw on the pokémon in the village when they prayed… but upon closer inspection, Elly noticed something interesting.

"These statues… they seem familiar." They all got closer and closer, and while Sam didn't really give a flying fuck about the statues or what the temple looked like, he stopped to wait for them regardless, and looked from afar, still tense and head raised. The others meanwhile, approached Elly, and soon they began seeing the similarities. The figures were humanoid in shape, but their heads and their chests had a hole, looking skyward, prostrated, knees bent forward, as if in a fetal position.

"Hey, these are the same statues in Cunabula. In the fountains besides the entrance and stuff!" Nox, of all pokémon, was the one who remembered, looking at them, confused. "What the heck are they doing here?" Nobody, not even Elly, had an answer to that, but while they were familiar, their mere presence, and the state of erosion gave them this kind of uncanny feel. Nobody knew what they meant in the first place when they were in Cunabula, so why were they there now, in a completely different region?

Whatever the case, they weren't there to sightsee, and they were most likely on borrowed time, as things were, so they hurried into the temple. Luckily, it seemed it was all just one big chamber, with rows of impeccably sculpted statues on the walls, and on the square pillars. Thick, robust, and ancient, expertly made, that even with the passage of time the walls retained an unnatural smoothness and the corners remained sharp. No method of sculpting known at that time was capable of making such things, giving the whole temple a greater air of mystique. One thing was for sure though…

"That tribe didn't build this place." Zed's observation was obvious, but still, it made sure everyone was up to speed. It was massive, those statues also laying on the floor. Some of them looked ancient, with the same statues that were outside, some broken, some intact, whilst others looked far more recent, the sarcophaguses were rounder, and the sculptures weren't as precise and detailed, and also resembled pokémon, like a Bastiodon, or a Scyzor. "I think you were right about this being a different graveyard, Elly, but I think they took the tradition from whoever built this thing in the first place."

"Yeah, I assumed as much… this is incredible, I can't believe the amount of history that is hidden away in the outback of these badlands. And the culture is so rich… if only these people opened up a little more, we could learn so many things, and exchange so much…" She looked around, starry eyed. It was like discovering new lands, specially when this was supposed to be no longer possible, finding something like this reignited that excited explorer spark that had first moved her to choose that profession… of course, with time, other reasons came along, but that had originally been her dream, and here she was, in a way, realizing it.

Unfortunately, they weren't there to observe or explore those ruins, so much as finding and securing that metal fragment… and just like before, she felt nothing out of the ordinary, aside from that oppressive miasma. "Shit… no no no… it can't be… look for it, look for anything that looks out of the ordinary! A shrine, anything!" Everyone except Sam got to look, the Krokorok looking at the centre of the room, a hole in the ceiling, and rocks and stones scattered about. He approached it slowly, and sighed.

"Ey, Elly." He called her over, his arms crossed. When she approached, she saw a circle ropes and symbols, laying on the floor, the papers and planks decaying, the characters half-erased by the passage of time, and in the centre, an altar where she could see the indent of a strangely shaped fragment. Except that was all there was. An indent.

The fragment was gone.

"...Damn it." She had no doubts as to who had gone ahead, and removed that fragment. "He must've been out here while the storm and the lightning bolts were coming… took over behind one of the pillars, or something…" That could explain the hot glass they'd found: that's where the lightning had struck. The pieces all fell together one, and spelled out one possible picture: Tharmius had gotten ahead of them, and stolen the fragment. Now, he was nowhere to be seen. They were too late, and were now no doubt going to be pinned with all the blame. This much she told the others, and their spirits were immediately crushed, whilst Sam stayed quiet, and watched from the entrance.

"So… what do we do now?" Nox asked.

"I suppose we head back, and deal with what we have to… after that, we go back home, I suppose. I'll tell Jake to tell the guild we investigated the crash, and failed to retrieve whatever landed, and also a fragment… Crap, this is bad."

"What could he want with those things anyways?"

"Nothing good, that's for certain." Elly was quick about her answers to Zed, clearly unhappy with how things had turned out. And she grew even more frustrated when she realized she couldn't talk with anyone that wasn't in that room with her, testing it repeatedly. "Arceus damn it! Can anything else go wrong today! Now I can't even tell the others we failed!" She pulled on her fur in frustration.

"Maybe… maybe these papers are interfering or something. Let's just head back, deal with whatever we have to, then leave. We can always tell them after we are at Pontavicel, and in safety." Zed's words made sense, and cooled the Eevee down a bit, sighing and nodding.

"Alright… everyone, let's head back." They all walked out of the temple, facing the moon, noticing the papers swinging, no doubt because of those strong winds that they'd seen earlier. They were all silent, Sam in the middle, breathing in deeply, and huffing.

"Honestly, I don't really get why ye lot are so caught up about a piece of scrap like that. 's literally just that, a fuckin' metal fragment, wot's the big deal 'bout it? Grants magic powers or wishes? As if. That shit don' exist." He got no response, so he opted to go straight to business, and what he was actually interested in. "Well, whatever, I held up my end of the bargain, and now ya'll gotta help me with my business. I'm lookin' f-"

"You know what. No. I'm done." Lucy suddenly cut him off, and got ahead of Elly, and everyone. "We went all this fucking way, went through this blistering desert, just to figure out that there was an empty crater and that the asshole that locked us up in the first place in a house got away with it?! Fuck this. I'm done with this explorer bullshit." She was looking at Elly straight in the eye when she said this… and knew that she'd hurt her friend, by the way her eyes widened. "It's just been one fuck up after another, specially after I almost fucking died back in that mountain… who the fuck was I even kidding, I was never gonna get anywhere, and now we're all washed up. From being the world's heroes to just fucking nothing, the average joe."

"Lucy, you can't… After all this?! You can't seriously mean what you're saying right now!"

"And what if I am!" She snapped back at the normal type, and turned around. "I'm tired of this! It's like nothing I do is enough anymore, I can't act the way I want to, I keep getting fucking hit from every angle with shit from my past, which absolutely nobody can understand, and none of you fuckers help me deal with it! You berate me, you try to pry into my family's history, and think that you're some kind of friend. But guess what, you're not! I've always been running alone! My life's been like a fucking marathon where the goal keeps stretching further and further, and I have no one to support me and help me get there, specially through those tough times!" She glared at Zed. "Because I DID think I had someone, it turned they barely had any fucking idea on what to do! Well guess what you asshole, I'm done with YOU as well!"

Zed felt as if someone had dropped a bucket of cold water on his head, closing his eyes, and biting his lower lip, whilst Elly just stared in shock. Nox was surprised as well, but Sam was just looking confused. "Wait, why's all this happenin'?"

"Please… Lucy you can't… you can't mean that!" The Zorua whimpered forward, and Lucy felt something twist in her stomach. She was right there, about to say it, something that she had had in her body all this time, something that was eating away at her, something that she'd been meaning to tell Zed for the longest time… but she couldn't, the words died in her dried up mouth, panting and looking away.

"All of you just need to leave me alone! I've always been living like this, and I can sure as hell keep it up!" She scoffed, turned to face away from them, and just as she was crossing the curtain of paper…

"Lucy, wait come back, plea-" The whistling returned, kicked up more sand and wind, and almost blew Lucy away, her eyes shooting wide open, the sudden noise having drowned out Elly's voice and Zed's cry for her name.

It all happened in an instant: the noise filled her eardrums, deafening her, the sand blasted from behind her, and the paper kicked up and flipped, the wind howling at her back, the stream of sand stopping almost immediately, but the wind lingering for just a bit. She turned around… and saw three things: the first, small, white lights, like fireflies, flickering in the air, emitting heat as they circled and trembled, before fading out and disappearing, like embers, the air full of them for just a few seconds, dying out incredibly quickly, like a trail of sorts. The second, was the new layer of glass on the ground, steaming from the heat.

The third was the blood. A puddle of blood was on the ground, not that big, just a few drops, but still there. She stared at the scene in front of her, frozen, time slowing to a crawl as her brain tried to process the images in front of her. "E-E-Elly?" She looked around, shifting in her place, the papers still shifting and moving. "N-Nox?!" The papers began to settle, and fall down, the wind howling coming through the gaps between them and the ground. "Sam?!" She saw them fall down, and then, the wind died, and there was complete silence once again.

"Zed?! Zed! ZED! Where are you?! GUYS! GUYS!" She scrambled frantically, looking at the blood, and at the glass. Where were they?! What happened?! They were there one second, the next they were gone! Where were they?!

"No no no no please no Arceus please no no no please please no not like this please oh god oh good… Zed! Elly! Please! Anyone fucking answer me please! PLEASE!" She looked behind the curtain they'd just come from, nothing, she looked to the left, and the right, nothing still. She checked everything, and everywhere, without leaving that square, every time praying she'd find them sitting behind of them, disgusted and crying, about to ready to apologize for everything. She hadn't meant it… had she? She wasn't sure at this point, some things she'd meant, others she didn't. She was confused, when just a few seconds she'd been determined. Now she was scared, and didn't know what to do, completely alone, the rocks looming above her, the shadows extending to grab at her, the last few of those embers dying out, until nothing but her own breathing could be heard… then the wind came back.

The curtains to her right flew up, and immediately she turned to face that direction. She saw a blur of white and gray. The wind wasn't strong at first, but progressively became stronger, and stronger, more of those curtains flying upward, one of them snapping all together and flying off into the sky, visible from where she stood. She let out a scream, and her body took over: she ran for her life, turning to the direction they'd been heading, slipping on the sand, but gaining her footing again as the wind howled and whistled behind her, screaming and not even attempting to look back, running past the crater, and right behind her, the sound of stone crashing and a screech was all she could hear, feeling the sand crashing behind her and exploding outward, making a cloud of dust.

But she didn't stop running. Nothing could stop her feet. If there'd been one thing she was good at ever since she was young, was running, running to the goal. Running to her destination, running with someone, racing, even. He'd always won though. He was always faster than she was, always ahead. Now, she was the one that was ahead. Ahead of whatever this thing was, and most likely ahead of her friends. She wasn't thinking about them, not at this point, or whether they were alive or dead, her brain having kicked into what truly concerned her: self preservation.

She ran desperately, the sound of the whistling and screeching approaching, then disappearing, and just as she reached the next, resuming. It was chasing her, blowing back and forth, feeling something hot breathing down her neck almost… just as she crossed the last one, and saw the entrance, and immediately dived under, sliding down the first few meters and to safety, turning her head as the cave shook, spotting flames, and a light, and then more of those embers floating down into the hole. She backed away from the hole, looking at the starry sky, just staring up there… she heard the sound of sand shifting. And then a childish giggle.

She screamed again, and took off running into the tunnel as fast as she could, using her electricity to at least see something in front of her, her heart sinking as she faced that deep darkness. MInutes earlier, she'd gone through there with her friends, joking somewhat, remembering how they'd tested Sam's scales. Now, she was running. Running for her life. Running away from harm. From her friends. Her family. Like she always did. She ran, and ran, always did, ran away from her problems.

" _ **You run without a goal in sight.**_ "

She froze where she stood, the voice distorted, not even that, just thoughts, words that popped into her mind. Like Elly's telepathy, but somehow deeper. It wasn't speaking to her mind, but to her very soul. She was confused, and scared, her nerves were about to literally kill her, running away from… whatever that was. And now… this. Was she going insane?

" _ **To pursue meaning in infinity is insane**_."

"Fucking leave me alone! Just leave me alone!" She continued to run.

" _ **Where shall you now go? Your friends will die if you abandon them here.**_ "

"Shut up! They're all… they're already…" All she could see was the blood. She could smell it, smell Elly's scent of pechas, the taste of Zed's fur, of cinnamon, shuddering, shaking, crying, tears rolling down her eyes. She could smell the air of death and decay that surrounded her father, the taste of her mother's sadness overwhelming her.

" _ **No matter how fast one runs, life shall catch up to them eventually.**_ "

"I know that… I know that already… but I don't know what to do… I don't know what to do anymore!" She fell to the side of the cave, in the darkness, curling up into a ball, whimpering and crying. Now, she had nothing, and no one. She was alone, truly alone. She'd never be forgiven for running away. She should've been the one to die just then.

" _ **The end of your race is not yet in sight. You have not been left behind, not yet. There is still hope for you to catch up**_."

"What… what does that mean?! What does that mean?! Just stop fucking stopping in riddles, and leave me alone! I… I don't… I don't want to be alone!" And yet, that was all she did, she was always alone, because that was what happened when she ahead of everyone.

" _ **You are lagging behind. You must catch up.**_ "

The words echoed in her mind, and with them, a vision, of the valley below the village, of the river, the waterfall, and behind it… a pedestal, and a fragment.

"What?" " _ **Find us.**_ " "Wait, what do you mean?! What's this all supposed to mean?!" " _ **Find us.**_ " "What kind of idiot… you're… what are you going to turn me into!" " _ **Find us**_." "No! You'll… I'll… they'll…" She grabbed her head, the words echoing over and over, insisting. It wans't an order, or someone trying to brainwash her… it was hurrying her. Like a guide, it was advising her what to do, but not forcing her to. She closed her eyes, and something came to mind.

The warmth of another's flesh. The scent of his fur. The proximity. Closeness. Family. Laughing, holding a paw with someone else, finding respite and safety in another's eyes, comfort in someone's embrace… meaning in someone's life.

She stood up, and made a mad dash for the end of the tunnel, rushing out and facing the cliff, almost falling over the edge. She stopped right at the end, looking down at that river, and the waterfall. She ran past the bridge, to the nearest elevator, and hopped on, shifting and looking over the edge nervously, and looking up. Not a soul in sight. The sun was about to rise, the stars were fading out, and in a few minutes' time, streaks of crimson would addorn the sky. She thought of the blood, and closed her eyes. Whose was it? She felt a knot in her throat, something rushing up, and leaned over the edge, throwing up, the adrenaline too much, coughing out whatever she'd eaten in the past few hours. No time to waste. She was down in the ground in a minute, and ran past the river banks, through the crops, unsetting and uprooting vegetables. The miasma washed over her, in the corners of her eyes, the shapes of bushes and trees morphed, becoming languid, tall shapeless forms, beady eyes staring at her, those same whispers echoing in her mind. She ran for the waterfall, crashing right through, the water refreshing her, panting, swallowing, tasting the bile in her mouth, stuttering onto her feet, and continuing deeper, using her electricity… though shortly, she wouldn't need to.

She found herself before a dome of stone, at the stop, a sphere of glass, electricity sparking and bouncing within the walls, the faint shapes of paws, claws, fangs and distorted faces greeting back, and beneath it, electricity surged from the metal fragment she'd seen. The room was decorated with hundreds, perhaps thousands of those prayer slips, covering them from wall to wall, and the apparitions, the ghosts, and the whispers, were stronger than ever before. She could feel her mind being undone, a splitting headache taking over, as if every neuron of her mind was being split apart, cut off, severing them and spreading them thinner…

She steeled herself, not even thinking it twice. She didn't know what was going to happen, she didn't know for whom she was doing it. People flashed before her eyes. Her mother. Her father. Elly. Zed. And then… her brother. As she was hit by the electric field, she felt the energy entering her body, her fur standing on end, electricity running across and through her body, covering her, making her scream out as white hot pain surged through her body.

"I'll be running ahead…"

She touched the fragment. Immediately, the pain became too much to bear, screaming her lungs out as the dome above her cracked and shattered, glass falling around her as something roared, the dome craking further as she was about to let go, the pain too much. She was too scared. Terrified. She thought of what had happened to the Abomasnow. Had he been tempted in the same way? Was she… about to die? Again? Was she in the throws of death, only this time she wouldn't be saved? Was it the same thing that had happened? Why was she doing this?! She didn't want to die! Not for everyone, and certainly not for herself! But why… Why did she want to live? What was the meaning? The why behind it all.

Again, her brother answered for her.

"...you catch up later."

He was waiting for her. Elly was waiting for her. Zed was waiting for her. They all were.

Instead of letting go, she gripped it with two paws, with newfound strength, roaring… and then she felt something snap, the electricity died down, before she was blasted by it, thrown across the room, and against the far wall. She head another sickening snap, and something warm run down the back of her head, electricity running through and over her body, washing her all over, bolts striking her right paw over and over. She rebounded off the wall, and against the dome, hearing a screech, no longer sure if it was her own. She just knew it all hurt. And then, everything stopped, there was silence, she slumped to the ground, her body unmoving. Her vision blurred, but she could see and hear something metallic land in front of her. And through the entrance, she saw a figure come in: a cloaked figure.

"A shame… he would've loved to see you again."

And then, everything was black.


	17. Chapter 13 - The Throne

**Whelp, that took way longer than it had to, mostly because of how I wanted to take care of the fights in this chapter, which went through several rewrites sadly… also, uni started up again, and that ate up a bunch of time.**

 **Either way, it's out, so we're still going! Let's take some time to look at the reviews…**

 _ **Sees only one**_ **Huh… Well not as many as I had expected, hopefully I see more for next chapter! As always, don't be afraid to drop a comment or throw some speculation!**

 **TheOrangeLord: Like this! Perhaps that could be the case, it has been left ambiguous for a reason, but there is obviously a remnant of him in this world… whether or not that allows for a return or merely a reference… we shall see.**

 **And that would be it! Again, sorry for the delay, I will try to be more consistent with these updates. Enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 13**

 **The Throne**

 _ **A fallen star and harbingers of doom clash.**_

Might is everything. Without it, you can't do anything in this world, and instead the world shall do what it wants with you. This much was clear in the Garchomp's head as he walked into the lone village located in the valley. Behind him, the pokémon that he'd been provided for this mission, opting to take them along instead of his six bodyguards. If there were to be casualties, he'd rather it be these goons than his own men. He glanced at the village, it's lonely houses, the broken, burnt up bridge hanging down in the middle, the unsettling stillness, windmills silently turning above them.

From what they could tell at the current time, the village was almost abandoned, only a few signs of life remained, the inhabitants hiding from the lightning onslaught that had rained down upon the land just a few hours ago, an onslaught his men and himself had evaded by burrowing underground, and dragging those other followers underneath with them. They were no fools. and had obeyed almost immediately, and followed his every command without questioning. It made them valuable assets, but little more. Blindly following a leader could only get an army so far, and he's using them appropriately. They kept walking, across the bridges, and towards the only house that had anyone standing outside, a lone Aegislash, tensing up and drawing its bladed arm immediately, holding his shield in the other.

"Halt! Strangers are not allowed in these lands! Turn around this instant or-" Some of the Garchomp's men were more than ready to attack, but the towering monster that lead them simply rose a hand, and halted their advances. He then turned to the Aegislash, and bowed.

"Our apologies for coming into your lands without an invitation, but we wish to hold an audience with your leader." He rose up. "Time is of the essence. We have little to waste, and much to speak about, regarding the curse that flays these lands."

"You shall have no audience!" He didn't back off, holding that shield before him. "Our elder has no need to meet with ones such as you… so many strangers just today. It seems none of them were to be trusted after all!"

"Now, I assure you, we have nothing to do with these strangers that have arrived before us." He rose his hands as a sign of peace, and showing they didn't mean harm. "What they offered you was either tribute, or asked questions. We offer a favour, a gift even, a proposal to lift the curse upon these lands and let you live your lives in peace without the menace that rains down from the heavens."

"How do you know of such a thing, stranger?!"

"We travelled through the badlands, and were almost struck by those bolts. The rumors of these lands filled in the rest. The air here is viced, charged with malice. You have lived and stayed in it for far longer than anyone should have." He bowed, again. "I come here to offer a permanent solution to this. I promise, that I have no intentions to use violence against you, your elder, or your people."

"Your words do not line up with the mon that stands behind you." He pointed to those followers, who, as he'd feared, were much more feisty than he'd anticipated, and were questioning why they didn't just take what they came here for by force. "Can you vouch for them?"

"I shall not, but instead remind them of the vow they made upon coming along, and that I may vouch for their removal should we return empty handed or otherwise on unsatisfactory terms." That single threat seemed to get everyone to stand straight, and stop their muttering and murmuring behind him.

"Your words remind them of a dark threat, one that you no doubt serve."

"I serve no one, my friend. Only my own, and those who pay the toll. My current 'contractor', has done so, but I assure you that he had no specifications to what should happen to your village."

"Then why should I consider that you will not raze us to the ground after you are done?"

"Too bothersome to speak and discuss the terms of your salvation to then betray you at the last moment and destroy this rather beautiful village simply out of wickedness. The mere fact I stand here, before you, hands above my head, attempting to reach a deal and have not instead destroyed this village already or attempted to attack it is proof enough. We gave away our element of surprise in the hopes of reaching an agreement."

"And what would happen should we deny you?" At this point, the Garchomp smiled, shaking his head.

"Believe me my friend: you will not."

* * *

A few minutes later, he came in through the curtain of papers, to find the elder ready to speak with him, an uneasy Aegislash floating besides him, and an aggressive-looking Excadrill on the other side. The Elder invited him to sit down before them, a mirror image of what Tharmius himself had done previously. But instead of sitting before him, he kneeled down, and bowed. "My thanks, for inviting me to your home."

"You were not invited, you essentially forced yourself upon us." The Garchomp glared at the Excadrill, the elder once again raising a hand to appease them.

"Now, now… let us not keep our guest waiting, as he seems to have a proposal for us… surely, if we are to talk, and reach an agreement, we can get this done with as soon as possible?"

"Of course. I'll keep this simple, then, lay out my proposal, and after that we may debate: my men and I have come today to rid your people and lands of the curse that was placed upon them by the strange metal fragment that no doubt landed and still remains here. No, there is no need, or rather use on trying to hide this information from me: I know of this."

"Who told you then?! No one from the village is allowed to divulge such information!"

"Your Aegislash friend is quite shaken… I would recommend you advice him to calm down, Elder… as for how I know, it's quite obvious in the air: the Miasma coils and extends its tendrils upward from the valley beneath, the bolts of lightning that struck the ground earlier were hellbent on smiting us. Not a cloud in the sky until they suddenly came, then vanished just as quickly. Obvious, really."

"So what? Just because you know of this does not mean you have the tools or ways of fixing this issue."

At the Drillbur's comment, the Garchomp smiled. "Ah, but I do my friend. I have dealt with such things in the past, and know what must be done, and who can grab and take it away from these lands… in particular, I would be the one to do so. For you see…" He showed them the back of his left hand, where an emblem, much like the one they'd seen on Team Star earlier, specifically that Krokorok, could be seen. "I live among the accursed, the ones who touched the pieces of power and remained unchanged, and sane."

"By the ancients, yet another… what are you all." The trio in front of him was apprehended at the sight, knowing know that fighting this man was a lost cause, much like Tharmius.

"I am, as I said, one who touched one of those fragments and lived past it… We call those fragments Essence Shards, just to make it easier for us to identify them. When a creature grasps a shard, the energy that is contained within flows into their bodies, and charges them with power beyond their wildest dreams… but that energy, is like a rope of sorts, and suddenly you will have two forces pulling at you at the same time so to say. And if the rope is not strong enough… it will snap. That balancing act is between the power you wield and your will. Should your will not be strong enough, along with your body, one will snap: go mad with the power, or transform into a monster. I believe what happened in this village years ago was a case of the latter." He sat down properly. "Your silence provides all the answers I seek."

"What do you intend to do to our tribe?" The Elder inquired, challenging the dragon-ground type.

"Nothing. One who has grabbed a fragment and managed to control the power, such as I have, cannot be affected by either another fragment's power, or the decay that the monsters bring about. A protection, of sorts, from this kind of harm, along with the powers that the shards provide, to smite those creatures. I intend to remove the shard, and let the monster that hides behind be dealt with soon after, lifting the curse from your lands."

They muttered among themselves, debating, the Elder nodding, or shaking his head. "You seem to know a lot about these shards. What you say may be true, but what reason do we have to trust you? What would you gain from obtaining such a power?"

"As I said, I have nothing to gain, for I already possess all the power I could ever need… none can stand up against my might, but there are others who would rather keep these shards from falling into the wrong hands… you have no doubt possibly met them. Interlopers, others interested in this power… they know not what they are playing with, and could unleash a disaster of the same or higher magnitude than the one you endured. The only thing I would truly gain would be monetary compensation, and you earn peace of mind, and our protection from outside forces."

"Outside forces?"

"The outside world is… changing, or at least is soon going to change. A storm is brewing on the horizon, once more. Two sleeping giants are awakening, and are readying for confrontation. Should this come to fruition, wouldn't you rather lay on one side of the conflict, to avoid total annihilation from both sides?"

"You're asking us to participate in a war then!"

"It will be a war unlike any that this world has seen, or rather could be… It's more of a warning, if anything. I vow to send some of my most trusted warriors to keep you safe from either side, should it be necessary. My contract asks of me to retrieve the shard, but does not specify making these sorts of deals."

"So this is something you're doing on the side, without the supervision of your hirer? What guarantee have we if he would decide to strike against us?"

"My own. My business and his own are intrinsically linked: seeking to destroy or otherwise harm him would end up causing self-damage… I made sure of that." The more he spoke, the more advantageous the deal sounded. And those were his intentions. None of what he'd said was a lie… but he hadn't necessarily told the entire truth either. The Elder and his trusted men didn't need to know that though, and he let them debate and talk with each other for as long as they needed.

After much debating and asking for more specific information, the trio once again sat down before him: the Excadrill seemed unconvinced, the Aegislash was far more appeased, and the Elder had once again returned to his peaceful demeanour. "After much discussion… we have decided to take your offer. You have a strange energy about you, the power that pulses from your body can match that monster's, overcome it even… We have long lived in fear, suffering and cowering from the curse that plagued these lands. But we accept your deal on the condition that if we should once again, be attacked and your methods ineffective at ending the monster, we shall seal it again. And you with it."

"I am willing to accept that risk. I understand your concern, but it shall not be necessary." The Garchomp nodded, and stretched a hand out to seal the deal. The Excadrill and Aegislash shot their elder one last glance, whilst he seemed to doubt himself as he extended his hand, but something about the Garchomp before them exuded a kind of pressure that made it clear that he was being civilized and speaking not because it was his only tool, but because he'd rather avoid unnecessary, tiresome and redundant violence. It was this pressure that made the elder raise his hand, once again, and go to meet the Garchomp's…

"Maximilian, sir!" One of the followers, a Mankey, suddenly burst in, surprising everyone and stopping them before the deal was sealed. "A Shinx has just come out running from one of the caves, and is heading for the valley!"

"A Shinx?" The elder's eyes widened, and the mole pokémon stood up and rushed outside. "The outsiders… they wouldn't…"

"You never did say you had other visitors."

"I did not know it would bother you, or that it would come to this… what were they doing, which cave?"

His protegé burst in again, and confirmed their fears: she'd just come from the graveyard. Their hallowed lands, once again, sullied and trespassed upon. But time was of the essence, they had to follow her to valley, and interrogate her! "She moves quite fast, slippery devil she is!" The Garchomp, Maximilian, walked outside and looked over the edge. There she was, riding down the elevator… vomiting. It clearly wasn't normal, and wherever she was going, she was being driven forth by some unknown force. Time was still of the essence, pacing across the bridge and trailing after her, his men following close, and the Elder and his trusted bodyguards behind them.

As they got onto the elevator, she went into a cave behind the waterfall, much to the tribe member's shock, and took off running as soon as the elevator reached the bottom. "Boss, that was…"

"I know." Max didn't glance at those lackeys. He already knew who it was, but whatever she was doing, she was no doubt playing with a type of power she knew nothing about. A roar followed her entry into the cave, the Aegislash shouting and ordering that they sought cover. An instant later they'd know why, as bolts of electricity surged out of the cave and went everywhere, breaking and burning up the elevator they'd just used to go down, several large wooden platforms smashing to splinters. Max just stood there, the splinters bouncing off his scales, the bolts aiming towards him and smashing against a slab of rock that rose out of the earth with just a simple stomp of his foot, protecting himself and his lackeys.

As the lightning died down, he was the first to go in, approaching slowly, and entering the room. The shrine was torn to shreds, lightning coiled in a dark, insidious cloud above his head, and on the ground, a battered, tired Shinx lay, her right paw glowing intensely, blue, yellow and white bolts coursing through her fur, twitching sometimes, her eyes glazed over, on the throws of fainting… or dying, perhaps. He chuckled, amused, as he spotted the fragment laying in front, approaching slowly. "A shame… he would've loved to see you again." He crouched down in front of the fragment and Lucy.

"He really liked to talk about you, how you could've helped us out, contributed to something bigger. You got a bad hand in life, he claimed, the deck stacked against the both of you… Looks like you took on a bigger challenge than you were able to." He grasped the metal fragment, and as he suspected, nothing happened. Nothing would happen to him. He was one of those lucky few, unlike the Shinx before him. "I don't know if you can hear me anymore, but what awaits you now is death, be it your own, or the lives of all that live in these lands…" He looked upward. "Along with whoever you used to be." He smiled. "We never did close that deal after all, and I was never told to get rid of any Rebscura that threatened the area."

He stood up, expecting something, anything, but that didn't seem to be the case, and the glow and electricity on her body didn't seem to die down, escalating in fact. He supposed that was his cue to leave. "I'll give your family the news." And with that, he'd stand up and turn his back on her, leaving the cave, and walking out to the increasingly better lit up valley. Outside, the half a dozen followers awaited eagerly, most of them shifting around uncomfortable, the valley no doubt having its effect on them. The Sceptile and Grumpig were the only ones unaffected, the others, a Magmortar, a Tyrogue, Granbull and Bellossom seemed to be glancing around nervously. The Excadrill approached, his arms crossed, looking at the fragment he now held in his hands, and the fact he was unaffected, nay, unchanged. "It is done."

"Is it now? And what about the foreigner? The Shinx?" Max began walking, almost as if he was ignoring him.

"She touched the fragment. She will either die… or become another one of those things." The Excadrill's face went pale, and rushed to him.

"You didn't get rid of her?! She'll kill all of us! That wasn't a part of the deal!" The Garchomp just ignored him, and in a fit of rage, the steel type jumped at him, brandishing those steel claws. In the blink of an eye, the Garchomp would turn around, and while he was in the air, deflected his claw with his forearm blade, then kicked the side of his face, sending him crashing into a wall, cracking and breaking it apart, the Excadrill letting out a howl before he fell to the ground, fainted.

"The deal we never closed, you mean? You did not tell me that there were other foreigners… that changes things. Be sure, that these people will help you just the way I did… and should they fail and die, then trust me, all will be lost for you, I, and everyone else."

"You lying bastard!" The Aegislash took a swing at his neck with deadly accuracy.

* * *

She felt nothing, she was floating in what seemed like empty space, all of it was black, her body was numb, and tired, shuddering and twitching as she regained herself. Was she dead? The last thing she remembered was being hurled against a wall, lightning, and a scream, everything else beyond that point was blurry, and confusing. She tried to move her body, but none of it responded, she couldn't feel anything either, like she was just a mind floating in nothingness. And she couldn't close her eyes. That didn't work either, as if they were constantly open. She began to fear the worse, opening a mouth she lacked to emit a scream that wouldn't be heard.

" _What is it that you wish?_ "

She would freeze up, that voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was the same voice that had haunted her whilst she

" _Ran away. You claim yourself to be a coward now, but you have been one for far longer than you can imagine. Do you not agree?_ "

She didn't know who this was, but she couldn't answer, she hadn't even finished that though, and they'd somehow answered.

" _I am the origin, the beginning, the reason for your existence._ "

God, then?

" _Nonsense. Your vision is limited. You are narrow, your whole life has been nothing but an endless hallway, and you have crashed into a wall. No way to go through, only around._ "

She grew angry, and wanted to scream, lash out and attack whatever it was that was around her, nothing but hatred, and contempt, born from fear and confusion assaulted her. The voice let her be whilst her anger died down, glancing around nervously once again, thinking that she was now alone forever.

" _Nothing shall be forever. None are alone. Change will happen. You must change._ "

What kind of change? A positive, or a negative one? There were so many questions, yet she didn't get any of the answers!

" _You have no need for answers. Only this: you must change, grow stronger. Grow faster. For the sake of those around you._ "

They were starting to speak as if this was some sort of grand scheme of fate.

" _It is not. Life will go on without you. You will die. Be buried. Your friends will die. Be mourned. The world shall burn, reduced to ashes, return to sand, and from the blood, new things will rise. You are nothing. Become something._ _**Change**_ _._ "

Whatever comfort she wanted, she wouldn't find it there, and after waiting for more, she got nothing. A sensation in her mind, like a veil being lifted, but still, nothingness awaited her. She tried to think, tried to remember. Before she grabbed that fragment, she'd thought of his last words, his wish for her to join him further ahead. In a better place. Another life, so to speak… Was this it? The chance she'd been waiting for? Would she meet him now? But there was so much to pay… her mind trailed to the place that she'd been before then, her friends, her words. Elly… and Zed… the looks of betrayal on their faces, the way they'd been hurt… it hurt her as well. That was something she wanted to change. She'd already been wanting to change it!

She could feel her senses returning, her vision becoming gray, as it became a bit more white, as her resolve started to come through… she was going to continue. She was going to keep on running. She wasn't going to let anyone or anything keep her from her goals… this time, she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to keep moving, get to her friends, and keep on working and using whatever fame she'd get… to find her brother. She was going to do it, catch up, and reunite and get to have a family… someone who actually cared for her.

And then, Lucy's eyes snapped open.

* * *

The Aegislash's blade was caught by his claw, swung around, and slammed into the ground, but before he could deliver another blow, an intense light emanated from the cave, blinding them all momentarily. "It's begun!" He was about to give his men the order to retreat… when a bolt of lightning surged out from behind the water, something black moving at lightning speeds, smashing against the Grumpig, a bolt smiting the Sceptile, then vaulted and dashed by the Bellosom, cuts appearing on his chest, the Tyrogue being sent sliding backwards, and both the Magmortar and Granbull were blown away.

Alarmed, he rose his wrist blades in front of him, blocking the attack… what he saw was a Luxio with emerald eyes growling at him, her tail glowing yellow, electricity coursing through his arms as he pushed her away, but the pointy star at the end of her tail hooked to his blades, and made her spin away and backwards, against the wall, landing and even sticking to it for a few seconds before jumping and swinging her tail, shooting lightning from it until she landed. Where before she would've winced from the fall, he saw a faint electric glow surround her paws as she landed, snarling and glaring at him just fine.

Her blue fur was a shade darker, the usually yellow bands around her forearms were green, same as her eyes, focused and staring at him intensely. To finish it all off, the glow around her right front paw had died down, and now he could see, plain as day, another emblem. The Aegislash and the Elder stared at her in awe, whilst Maximilian regained his composure. "Alright… you are the fucker that walked into the cave just earlier… who the **hell** were you talking about?!"

"Just when I thought you'd gotten out of our way, you come back from the dead… and it seems like you've acquired more power…" He chuckled. "It seems then, that I shall have to fight. I cannot allow someone such as yourself to gain more power!" He stood straight, towering over her, even with her slightly increased stature, but she didn't back down. From her right though, she could hear some groans, and howls as the Granbull charged her down.

She attempted to dash backwards and away… but as she moved, she'd see that while her movements were unchanged… his were slower. That first attack had almost been instinctual, she'd just let her body do its thing, but now she could tell things had changed. The change in speed was barely noticeable, but there it was, enough time for her to continue dashing backwards as the Magmortar's flamethrower roared out from her left, and coated the grass she'd just been standing in flames. She saw the embers lick away, fizzle and then die down, sliding as she moved much faster than she had anticipated, almost tripping on a rock, the effect vanishing almost instantly.

"What the…" Unfortunately, that single moment of doubt was everything Maximilian needed to smash his fist right against her face. Even with that brutal hit however, which should've fractured her skull and nearly killed her, she was sent flying but only got a nasty nose bleed, landing on the grass, as that electricity around her body faded.

"How did you… Impossible, I hit you straight! You should be dead right now!" She sat down and rubbed her face, groaning and pretty much alive.

( **Caffeine - RWBY** )

"Well… I ain't… aaah fuck my nose!" She was holding her face, getting her paws bloodied up, only tasting and smelling blood, glaring at him. "You're gonna pay for that you scaly son of a bitch!" She stomped and electricity coursed through her, sparks flying everywhere as she let out another howl, then took off forward, leaving a trail of electricity behind her. The Magmortar and Granbull where at the head again, and the other lackeys followed closely, the fire type blowing fire that she vaulted over, sliding under the vicious left hook from the fairy type, slicing at his leg with her claws, shocking and cutting in, the action moving as normal for her, but for them she'd be moving at blinding speeds, but the moment she slowed down, everyone would go back to normal, getting caught by a kick from the Tyrogue, and yet again, some kind of electricity protected her from taking the full damage, landing on her stomach, shaking her head, and rushing ahead once again.

This time, she noticed the differences between moving faster and slower, and finally understood: she was moving faster, and everything slowed down because of that, but the moment she decelerated, they'd all go back! Changing directions was a no go, so now it was a matter of reacting and finding her way through without stopping! She laughed, her fatal weakness gone, or at least she'd think so! "Let's go you fuckers!" She blitzed through them, tail swinging, slamming into the Bellossom, shocking him and flying against the Tyrogue, firing a bolt to electrocute them, snarling and taking a bite out of the Granbull's shoulder as she vaulted, feeling his body moving with her motion, and being flung at Maximilian, grabbing him and intercepting a bolt, then rushing forward at her.

His speed almost matched hers, his movements faster than the others, but now visible, landing on her back and sliding under his hook, using her tail to grab to his leg, and swing around and under his legs, kicking up and spinning, electricity coating her tail almost like a buzzsaw, forcing him to block effortlessly, by the Magmortar would be caught and electrocuted. Four of them were hit, and the other two were confused, but still held their ground. As strong as she was now, she didn't seem anywhere close to beating all seven of them, even as she roared and charged again, having to pick speed and spinning, using her tail to blitz through the group again, throwing those on the ground and tripping the rest, then quickly as she spun blasted all them with lightning, with one single bolt, it would bounce between the six of them, whilst Maximilian jumped up, then brought his fist down, destroying the ground around them, and making her trip and go off flying against a wall.

At those speeds, before she would've broken her spine, but although she felt the hit, she was mostly fine, groaning sore… and still stuck to the wall. She felt her hairs being pulled against it, tiny pebbles magnetized and floating around her. Whatever little iron and metal there was, it was keeping her glued to the wall. She burst out laughing in excitement, silenced as she saw rocks being launched at her, almost like cannon balls, rolling and taking running horizontally. It was the most disorienting thing, and ended up tripping and falling off the wall as a rock smashed in front of her, and down to the ground, that electricity around her vanishing as it took another hit. And with her protection gone, Max lunged forward, forearm blades ready… "It's over!"

(Stop the music)

Before he could reach her however, what felt like the impossible happened: someone stepped in between his mighty fist, and her body, a claw that made the ground shape, a shockwave blowing leaves, grass, and the unaware Luxio away with its unfathomable power, just a sign of what would've hit her if that claw hadn't intervened… As for the pokémon that had saved her in question, she looked up to find the most unlikely saviour of all: Tharmius, clad in his judge robes, making her eyes widen like plates, and also in Max's case, his face drain of all colour.

"Tharmius?! What…"

"Your friends. Go to their side." He simply ordered, her head snapping over to the tunnel, then back at the bipedal pokémon in front of her, both exuding an intimidating presence.

"The hell do you think you're doing ordering me around?!"

"Oh I am not ordering you around… it is merely a recommendation, before they die at the hands of whatever monster you have stumbled upon in those hallowed lands. I shall handle things here."

"Tharmius! We finally meet!"

"Likewise, Maximilian."

"So you know of me?"

"I know your goals and your reputation yes… and who it is you work for, you monster." Whilst they talked out like that, Tharmius gripping and holding that arm, both of their hands shaking as they forced each other back and forth, Lucy took her chance to regrettably follow Tharmius' advice. If he got beat up, she didn't care, he was an asshole anyways!

"You know what, I'm just gonna run off and go where I'm actually needed!" She took off running with no further question, the Garchomp shoving his way past Tharmius and trying to catch up, but the Dragon type would catch up fast, trailing past him and punching straight, Max blocking the strike and countering with a kick, which Tharmius met with his own, both of them sliding backwards and away from each other due to the shockwaves, making the ground tremble and groan.

"Hmmm… I don't have time for this."

"I'm afraid you will not leave this place alive. Much less chase after that exploration team, or deliver that fragment to your master." He appeared relaxed, guard dropped, whilst the ground type was ready for combat. However, that look of worry on his face turned to relief when he whistled, and the six lackeys that he'd been bossing around all jumped in at once. Six against one, Tharmius dodging and weaving, backing away from the Granbull's fist, the Magmortar showering the ground in flames and the Sceptile covering it in vines, making the whole area impossible to step in, Tyrogue and Grumpig throwing rocks and the Bellossom supporting with razor sharp leaves.

He moved faster than they could see, smacking and blocking the projectiles effortlessly, the group cutting him off from catching up to Maximilian, who ran over to another one of those lifts, cutting one of the ropes and letting the tension shoot him upward and out of the valley, much to Tharmius' grimace, glaring at the half a dozen followers before him. "Give it up, it's six against one, and soon our boss will come back with his men! The only one who won't leave this valley alive will be yourself!"

He looked at them, silent, straight, unflinching, wind blowing by, robes flapping in the wind, his eyes focused on them, nothing but cold contempt behind them. Not an ounce of pity. The eyes of death. Nervous, the Magmortar blasted him with flames, the Bellosom and Sceptile covering the ground in vines, making the entire area enveloped in nothing but crimson pillars as the Grumpig rose them up. He simply vaulted to a higher ledge, the flames casting light upon him, his shadow stretching and looming over the valley, encroaching upon them, purple fickles of energy coursing through his arms and eyes. The air grew heavier, his silence making them lose their nerve. "What's wrong, cat got your tongue, asshole?! Come down, we'll retake what w-"

"Silence." He rose a claw. "Filth like you deserve no words, no justice, no love. Your words are empty, drip-fed into your minds by those who you blindly follow to commit murders, atrocities, and mayhem. Nothing but husks, nothing but evil, coated in self-pity, thinking you are fighting a just war, or claiming they had no choice… All while using it to justify killing innocents." He rose his claws, his scales coiling down into his robes. "I shall show you the slaughter you carried out. The true price to pay for a war, the lives you forfeited when you made the choice to kill. The justice that you sought for your people, I shall dole down upon you, and indulge in it, for I know that which I am: a sword, guided by a purpose. And I shall willingly do what must be done." He jumped off the ledge at them, the rocks shattering under his feet, directly at that group.

* * *

 **A few minutes earlier...**

"All of you just need to leave me alone! I've always been living like this, and I can sure as hell keep it up!" Lucy scoffed and turned away from them, ignoring a wounded Zed, and an offended Elly, the Zorua unable to understand what she was saying, but fearing exactly why she was acting like that. He was just… scared, scared of trying to help her, only to mess it up and worsen the situation. Elly meanwhile was just plain scared, confused and angered, from her point of view, feeling that she was being blamed for something she had no control over.

Zed took the initiative and took a step forward as began walking past one of those paper curtains. "Lucy wait, come back pleas-" His voice was cut off because of what happened next, the events unfolding having gone unnoticed by Lucy, as the papers had deafened her: that strange wind picked up once more, stronger than ever, and something blitzed into the square they were in.

The only reason they survived, due to that thing's sheer insane speed, was Sam's swift reaction, hardening his scales in the blink of an eye, and taking the brunt of the hit… and the rest of it sent him crashing into the others, some of his scales on his right shoulder and side shattering and digging into his flesh, drawing blood as they all went flying, and scattered, the creature gone the instant they realized something had happened. For Lucy, it would look as if they had simply vanished, more of those papers flapping as they saw a light blitzing and flying away from them, chasing after Lucy, zipping around.

Elly didn't get much more as she crashed and landed on her side, letting out a scream of pain, her body sore, but thankfully hadn't broken anything, quickly returning to standing up, and moving towards one of those pillars, placing her back against it. She was a nervous wreck, looking around frantically, looking for her friends, breathing and trying to calm herself down, quickly taking a glance under the next curtains, and started to move. Remembering the rough direction in which the others had flown off, she took running north, hoping to find one of her companions among the receding shadows, courtesy of the rising sun.

As she moved, the minutes went by, and she found nothing. Fearing she might've skipped someone, she walked back, and as she did, and walked into one of those scares… she'd spot something shiny and white slip behind some curtains, this time much more slowly, and calmly, swinging a bit. Her blood froze in her veins, falling back and away from whatever that thing was, no doubt the culprit of them being split apart. Her telepathy was rendered useless thanks to those papers, panting, as she sat down, catching her breath and looking around frantically. She could see something moving between the papers: something massive, giving off a golden sheen, glowing, inching towards her location, quickly moving and getting on the other side of the pillar.

She was scared beyond belief at this point, isolated and alone, and seeing that creature come into the square she'd just been in. She'd spot what looked like a white skull, with sunken eyes, staring right at her. Her eyes widened, and glued herself to the wall, her brain rushing to try and find a solution, and in a moment of clarity, she'd bring out her dark matter, cover herself in it, like a sphere, and use her shadow magic… and waited, as everything was dark within. She still heard nothing, panting, trying to calm her breathing… and then a screeching noise, a loud humming filling the air as she held her breath, keeping the mirage protection. Whatever it was, it was there, right on top of her, and wasn't moving. A childish giggle ran through the air, right on top of her… before it screeched, and a deafening explosion surrounded her, then silence. She waited for a long time, before dropping just a bit of her dark matter: it was gone, yet another trail of hot glass on the floor, concentrated all around her. It had almost discovered her… so how had she…

"Elly." She'd let out a scream and turn to her side, finding… Zed, of all pokémon, standing there, the Eevee hugging him. "I saw you hiding like that in that sphere, I managed to trick it, but it won't be gone for long."

"Zed, you're a lifesaver… did you see it?"

"N-no, not well enough, I didn't want to go completely in here, I just moved the papers and made some noise… it's going to be flying in that direction, but we need to go." He was trying to keep a brave face and get her to move, and it worked, the Eevee rising up and the two of them sticking close to each other, running through, and away from the direction in which they'd sent that strange monster. As they ran, minutes flowing by, the two of them tried their hardest to avoid speaking about Lucy, but it was obvious that it was eating them up, they wanted to talk and figure out what had happened, and where everything had gone wrong, where she was, if she was ok… so many questions rushing through their minds, yet at that very moment they had to focus on their own survival, and to find the others.

As they kept running and moving, they eventually bumped straight into Nox, who'd been running just the same, letting out a shout. "Fuck! You… Gah, you scared the shit out of me!"

"Speak for yourself! Where's Sam?" He shrugged, essentially responding to her question, glancing around. "We need to find him, we could r-"

"Look out!" Zed pounced her and Nox rolled out of the way as the ground type lizard shot through the curtains and slid past them and into another square. Without so much as a doubt, they ran after him, finding him three more squares away, standing up on shaky legs, coughing up some bloody, several cuts and broken scales on his chest and forearms.

"Sam!" He glanced up at his name being called, finding Elly leading the trio once again.

"The hell…? You guys didn't leave me behind?!" He sounded surprised and… relieved, happy even, before he would turn his behaviour around. "Well at least you lot ain't a bunch of a-holes… Where's the sparky bitch?"

"We don't know, she's missing still."

"You think she ran back to the village to ask for help? Last I remember she was on her way there, and she didn't get thrown off by that thing, so she might have a chance." Elly nodded, thinking the same as Nox, which meant that they would most likely get some help eventually. "We need to bounce though, we can't even tell what the hell that thing is, it's moving too fast."

"It hits fuckin' hard too… My scales are getting busted up taking hits from that fucker." Seeing the absolutely massive Krokorok roughed up like that was foreboding all on its own, but he looked demoralized as well, never a good sign. It was impossible to find their way back too, at the very least without outright revealing their position to that thing once again. Still, seeing no other solution, Zed transformed again and flew upward, Elly wishing him to be careful. He could barely get his head above the curtains and look around before a beam of light surged from their left, and almost incinerated him, diving back down and quickly taking off running in the opposite direction.

"This way! Go go go!" They took to running once again, but this time with those lasers firing and trying to strike them down, hitting the ground mere inches from them, one of them hitting Nox's leg, and to his surprise it didn't outright incinerate it, but it burnt up his fur, making him scream as he got up again and took to running, limping slightly.

"We're going to get nailed like this!"

"To the right! Now!" They quickly dived to the side, the beams missing them as they kept on running. Through the curtains, moving and shaking from the ripples of the attacks, they could see them continue, and endless barrage before they suddenly stopped. They didn't stop running however… but not long after, the ground would begin shaking, and the sky would seemingly darken. The air would be filled with that eerie humming that Elly had heard, but accompanied by a song, a melancholic, eery song, ghostly almost, sung by that same childish voice that had been giggling earlier.

After that, the ground groaned and shook, and a blinding light came in from the left, the group looking on in terror as it burnt and seemingly turned everything in its way to ashes: a large beam sweeping the area, and coming from their left. Without skipping a beat, the Krokorok would order them to get right next to him, and began to dig and make a hole, spewing and kicking dirt and rock out, Elly helping him out, and before long, they had a sufficiently large hole for them all to duck in, just in time for the beam to sweep above them, the four of them sitting still as a feminine scream was heard, then deafening buzzing, light blinding them from above… and then it all faded away, and slowly moved before falling mostly silent, rocks rolling and rumbling around them.

As they stood up, they saw why: the pillars that had been caught in the blast were either rubble or had been partially burnt through, spires of glass and burnt sand all around them, glistening and shimmering around them as the entire area around them had been turned into a strange multi-colored landscape, light bouncing between the glass fragments. Sam and Elly were the first ones out, whilst Zed went to check on the burn on Nox's leg: not something Cherri berries wouldn't be able to heal later, but the fact he of all fire types had been burnt was telling of the power behind those beams.

As they climbed out of the hole, attempting to catch their breaths, another screech signalled the thing's approach, an ominous blur rocketing towards them… promptly interrupted by a single bolt of lightning, crackling against its side, and to their surprise, sending it spiralling and flying area of the graveyard. They swung their heads to the side, and spotted the Luxio approaching, her emerald eyes a dead giveaway of who she was. "Shit, I got here just in time!"

"Lucy!" Zed cried out of her, and Elly smiled as she saw her friend. She glanced back at them, and instead of having a bitter remark, or something optimistic, she just looked down at the ground, yet the lasting smiles on her friend's eyes allowed her to lift her spirits. At that point, a crash through another spire snapped their minds back to the matter at hand, the crash kicking up dust, and obscuring the view of the creature briefly, the group reuniting, Elly, Sam and Lucy at the front, whilst Nox and Zed took the back.

( **Lunatic Ray - Devil May Cry 5** )

Several feather like cylinders flew and floated around it, sticking and folding underneath skeletal wings, returning to their normal position and turning them angelic, three pairs, one on each side of a large abdomen like metallic body, a frame with glass that revealed the body was hollowed out, white mist swirling within, the wings connected with the midsection and then where a head should be, it stopped short, three rings with notches floating above its head, descending and phasing through the wings, inscriptions on their outer sides. A glass dome was all that it had, in the shape of a head, and now they could see that sullen child like white face staring back, before sinking into that mist, and letting out another screech, the feather like boosters spraying energy all over the sand, turning it to glass from the sheer heat, then blitzing them again.

The group rolled out of the way just in time. "What the FUCK is that?!" Sam voiced what was going through everyone's heads. The easiest answer would be a Rebscura, but it felt like anything but one of those monsters, screeching and flying around, leaving a trail of those white embers, everything falling into place.

"I don't know, but we have to destroy it, that thing can't leave this place in one piece!" The destruction it had caused in the area was reason enough, as it charged Elly and Sam again, fixated on destroying them above the others. Elly made the fatal mistake of bringing up her psychic and dark matter barriers, only for them to be torn to shreds, making her scream in agony, saved only by Sam's tackle to the ground. They all recoiled from the wind pressure, but Lucy took off running first. She'd been able to shoot it out of that state earlier, should she catch up, she could do it again, and give her companions a fighting chance!

All of them now regrouped and with a splitting headache, Elly recovered the drops of dark matter scattered about to remake her dark matter. Lucy chased and followed the robotic abomination as it flew around the large expanse, speeding up as it charged against her friends, and fired a bolt. The wings would glow and overload, driving it straight into a pillar, boulders and dust obscuring their view as a screech filled the air. Instants later, lasers fired at the Luxio with pinpoint accuracy, but it had left its front wide open for Nox to blast in. Fire spewed from his maw as he ran by, jumping over a sweeping wing as the feathers he coated in flames overloaded and exploded, but those were only three out of the sixty odd strange metal cylinders.

Half of them flew over to the rings whilst the rest returned to the main body, screeching as it flew up and held itself above ground level, raining arrows of light on the group. Elly served as a protection against the projectiles, Lucy and Nox offering supportive fire besides her, before they were blinded by a glow from above. They quickly ran away and to the sides, a beam of light raining from the ring positioned on top of them. And before they could reach, the other two flew at them, like glowing sawblades with white teeth, the team dodging whilst Lucy ran behind the creature and took cover behind a pillar, peltering its back with bolts of lightning. Anything they did to the main body barely left a scratch, even if they hit those glass panels. "We're not even putting a dent on this thing!"

"We need to try and get closer and hit it with something hard! Sam!"

"What?!" He was too busy dodging as best he could, his massive size complicating things, until he got fed up. Looking at one of those sawblades, he hardened his scales and held his arms out, outright grabbing the thing as it burned into his scales and skin. But he held on, as he spun and then threw it back to the creature. The impact sounded like several bells hitting together at once, and the creature fell. "Now!" Without a moment to lose, the group charged in, Lucy and Nox firing and covering the group with their electricity and fire respectively. Zed, transformed into a Riolu, grabbed one of the feathers and began smashing the dome with it, managing to get some cracks. Elly followed up with a large dark matter fist, and then Sam came in, roaring and smashing his fists into the embedded yet. Larger cracks appeared, but the dome withstood the impact, the creature's shape within the metal shell was still undefined, but now spiralling and moving around erratically.

"Shit, it looks pissed!" Another screech deafened the Houndour as he spoke, sending the entire group flying away in different directions as the creature slowly began floating up. The three rings lined up underneath it, the sky growing darker once again as it eclipsed the sun with its own eerie glow. That horrible chill went down their spines once again, and before long they took to running in a panic. The beam that followed was stronger than the one it had used to sweep the area, molten rock and glass shards flying everywhere, Elly using her dark matter to protect herself and Zed, whilst Sam grabbed Nox and used himself as a shield.

Still, nothing could defend him against the sheer heat from the rocks, burning into his skin and showing he wasn't invincible to others, and to himself, shocked. More light arrows rained down, Elly having to turtle and hunker down whilst Lucy was forced to run, and Sam still providing a shield for Nox. "You'll kill yourself, you fucking dumbass! Keep moving!" Even as he shouted, the ground type showed his tenacity, withstanding the beams, and leaving his scales smoking and the skin underneath charred… but somehow alive. And he looked utterly pissed off.

Lucy was hit by a loose shard fragment, stabbing her side and although it was a superficial wound, with no organ damage, it made her stop as running and moving her legs became insanely painful. Still, she needed to run, limping at this point, but still going faster than the others could see, whilst some shards went through Elly's dark matter, too sharp for the ever weakening barrier to withstand. Though Zed transformed into a Graveler, his arms were cut up, and her forelegs had a shard stab right through them, embedding itself and making her scream.

As the barrage ended, it became clear that they couldn't allow that thing to fire it again, a large ditch on the ground, several meters long and wide being yet another grim reminder. And it seemed ready to fire another one, as it began charging up again. "Stop it!" The team began moving again, Nox taking point as he blasted towards and over the pit, managing to grab on to the edge of one of the rings, sneaking up and past it, over and under the next two. Elly used her psychic to pick up several rocks and make a pathway for him to run up, using her dark matter to make a water barrier in the ditch.

"Sam, run and jump on that trampoline!"

"The fuck?!" He was running right at the monster, and saw the barrier. "That fucking dinky thing?! You gone nuts, bitch?!"

"Just do it you scaly asshole!" She didn't feel like convincing him, and he could tell… given they seemed to know what they were doing, he complied, jumping on it… and shooting upward. It was like a trampoline, taking all that motion and weight and putting it into shooting the Krokorok up and into one of those rings, grabbing onto them and yanking it down. The entire thing groaned and leaned to the side, delaying the beam, before the dark matter returned to fist form, and grabbed the other end, Nox blowing fire into the midsection between the two opposing forces.

The metal weakened and snapped, throwing the metal monster to the ground, where Sam would repeatedly use the ring fragment to viscerally bludgeon the creature, screaming bloody murder. Striking its body, making it slide around, shockwaves blasting from it, before he saw that cracked dome. He roared and slammed one of the ends into the feather-booster still embedded, then forcefully using it as a lever and yanking it. The result was the demon shattering into a million pieces and the ring being destroyed and bent out of shape. Whatever that metal was, it was harder than anything they'd ever seen, and the Krokorok had managed to bend, break and shatter it all in the span of a few seconds.

As the monster screeched, the Krokorok kept going, still on the ground, he punched and smashed his fists into the abdomen, cracking the glass panels and causing more and more damage… but his outburst was brought to a swift end as something white shot out of the inside through the broken dome. It smashed into his side, sending him flying through the air and over the massive ditch. "Sam!" Nox was targeted next, his concern for the ground type ending just as quickly as the creature sliced and struck at him from within its broken shell. The white transitioned to a crimson, veiny red as it became more and more deformed, but its shape defining itself as it was exposed to the outside.

As the creature rose up again, piloting that strange metal cocoon was a grotesque, long necked humanoid with a malformed wing on its right shoulder, an overgrown tendril infested arm on its left, and rows of eyes on its chest, screeching through a gaping maw where the head would be, taking off flying again into the air. The friction would force it slow down enough to be reacted to by most anyone, giving them a chance to regroup as it flew away to come from another angle. Zed ran to Sam to check on him and the damage, whilst Lucy ran up to Elly, Nox blasting over, the duo checking on the Eevee, who could no longer walk.

She was busy pilling the glass out of her leg with her psychic, succeeding and quickly putting a bandage over her leg, using the supplies they had in their bag. After she treated that, she turned to Lucy and quickly covered her wound with long bandages, using her dark matter to patch her up as best she could. "Haah! Fuck, hurry we don't have much time! It's coming!"

"I'm going as fast as I can!" With all that she needed out the bag, she threw it to Nox, and ordered he take it to Zed and Sam. "Lucy, can you run and carry me?"

"With this wound?!" She saw that she was being serious. "What have you got in mind?"

"Just catch up to that thing, and we'll attack it from the side, bring it down, and finish it!" With the plan established, she climbed up onto her friend's back, and she took off after the machine like monster, wincing and groaning the whole way. Nox landed right besides a huffing Sam as Zed tried to get him to stand down, but his obstinance won out in the end, standing up with a nasty gash across his left side. As he hardened his scales, it covered the wound and stopped the bleeding, with every move seemed to stab the scales into the tender flesh, drawing shouts of pain. Nothing was stopping him now though, determined to end it now.

The girls tracked and found the creature as it was rushing the trio of males, catching up as Lucy fired bolts again, this time proving much less effective. But what ended up being effective was the dark matter blade Elly shot at its exposed chest, stabbing one of the eyes out. As she swung back for another pass however, it sliced at them with its wings, forcing Lucy to slide and topple, throwing the two of them to the ground, but also the creature embedding its wing to the ground, snapping it out of shape. Quickly reacting, Elly reached with a dark matter hand, grabbed and pulled with that and her psychic powers, ripping it off, then stabbing it in the back with the same metal. It proved effective, puncturing the armor, and making it take longer to take off. Time Sam took to grab the tail end of that shell, and pull it down.

As it tried to take off again, Elly's dark matter held on to its other wings, and Lucy and Nox began blasting the feathers with their energy. As the boosters exploded, the wings were torn off, Sam screaming in agony as he was forced to hold his ground and the creature screeched, beginning to fire arrows and stop the boosters. Elly quickly blocked them with her dark matter. "Now!" With the call, Sam pulled back, roaring as he slung the entire creature above him, and threw him to another pillar, shattering it to pieces. More dust was kicked up, but Elly started hopping towards it. Using her dark matter for cover, and her companions providing support, she broke through the cloud of dust, blocking a visceral swing from that grotesque arm with a psychic blade.

As if on instinct, her dark matter slid under her paws, and threw her forward, travelling with her as she vaulted over two lasers, and landed in front of the main body, stabbing forward with a longer dark matter sword, howling out as she grabbed it with her fangs, and jumped up. The sword cut through the middle of creature like butter, spilling blood everywhere as she finished it off with grace.

( **Stop the music** )

Several long screeches and flailing of its limbs followed before the separate ends of that monsters real form fell to the sides, and slumped against the metal shell, dead. Its feathers whirred and floated around ominously before shutting down, and falling to the ground motionless, its wings flapping down gently, and screeching as they touched the floor. The blood emanating from that thing was of a blackish hue, but still red, like that of a living being's. However, not long after it ceased moving, all of the organical parts, including the blood that coated the Eevee, started to fall apart, turning brown then gray, and then falling into dust, blown away by the wind, leaving only that shell.

After it was all gone, they all either sat down or laid back to relax and catch their breaths, all of them utterly exhausted or wounded to the point where walking or running without the adrenaline pumping through their bodies was nigh impossible. Sam, as they'd soon find out, as Zed walked over to him and patched up that nasty looking cut, wasn't one of them: he didn't do so much as groan when alcohol was poured into the wound to clean it, and the bandages reapplied, standing back up, and although walking with a strange limp, he seemed perfectly fine, even if bruised, battered and bleeding. "I'm focusing on the more serious wounds, so we can go back to the village, then to Pontavicel to get some proper treatment."

"Ugh, where's Vincent when you need him…"

"Far away, hopefully! Last thing we need is him to start grilling us about being too careless or just be a dickhead!" Lucy hissed as her wound was cleaned. "Besides, we're fine, we'll be back to tip top shape in no time."

"He did save your life…" Zed patted and adjusted the bandages around her body carefully. It was a bit of a rush job, but it'd do for the time being. "I think that should be everything." Lucy tried to stand up, wincing, but otherwise, able to keep herself stable. In her new form, she was bigger than Zed was by just a few centimeters, enough for her to reach down and caress his head, then pull him into a hug. No words were exchanged between the two… just a silent embrace. Nox and Elly opted to stay quiet, but Sam would begin laughing and roaring.

"Hooo yeah! We did it, we killed… whatever that thing was! Fuckin' unstoppable I'm tellin' ya, there ain't nothin' stoppin' us!" He kept pumping his fists, very much excited after their victory over… whatever the hell that thing had been. Whilst his enthusiasm was shared by the others, they weren't so outward.

"Yeah we did… but it was still a very close call." Elly found the Krokorok smiling at her, as they caught their breath, then made their way back into the tunnel and back to the village. "You know, you lot are quite good at this shit. You done this before, haven't cha."

"Well… pretty sure even someone like you knows who Team Star is." He looked at them, shocked.

"Get the fuck out." They all stared at him. "For real? Wow… So wait, you're the boss?" He looked at Elly. "I thought you has a Riolu for a leader? That's the dude I was about to beat up back in Crimsand, roight? Where's he at then?"

"Wounded from fighting another of those things."

"Oh shit. He alright?" The concern he showed seemed… genuine, before he coughed. "Asking just so I can beat his ass later, and I don't feel bad about it. Gotta have that rematch, after all."

"Right… and yeah, he's recovering, hence why we came here without him or the rest of our friends." He nodded absentmindedly, looking back at Lucy.

"So ya evolved while you were runnin' away or somethin'?"

"Oh what the… What do you care what I was doing?! Point is I evolved, I've got new powers, and we beat that thing all thanks to me!"

"Ya think I'm gonna bend down and kiss your paws you've got another fuckin' thing coming." Lucy scoffed and looked away… but Zed nuzzled and hugged her, having some issues since she was just so much larger now… but she helped him and didn't complain. "Anyways, that's fuckin' weird, you left and you came back with another of these dang things." He looked at his emblem, and sure enough, Lucy now had one herself. "How'd you do it?"

Lucy retold what had happened, from the moment they'd been thrown away, to her coming back. It couldn't have been more than fifteen minutes in total, and a lot had happened in a short span of time. "...and I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to drop."

"Don't do that just yet, we're going to get chewed out by the villagers for trespassing on their sacred grounds."

"Then just fuckin' tell 'em to go look at the big ol' remains of that piece of shit thing." Sam's suggestion was simple, but it would definitely work to get some heat off of them.

As they approached the end of the tunnel, they were expecting someone to be there to receive them… instead, nothing but an eerie silence greeted them. "It's… really quiet over here, isn't it?" Nox's observation only helped to make everyone more stressed out, specially Lucy.

"When I left, Tharmius was fighting with those assholes… ya think something happ-" A screech, the sound of metal scraping against rock pierced their ears. Lucy's electricity sparked up all on its own, being pulled in a direction, and letting out a scream as she could feel herself almost being ripped off the ground! Sam's quick reaction time ended with her being grabbed and pulled back as the cause of this phenomenon showed itself.

A ball of electricity, swirling in insane, epileptic patterns crossed the entrance, layers of metal covering and protecting it. The same feeling that they all had when they fought the Parasite and the Hunter crashed into them: that was a Rebscura. "What the fuck is that?!" Sam gripped and kept Lucy from being pulled into the monster by the insane magnetic field that surged from it.

Before they got a chance to explain the situation to Sam however, the creature, or rather the metal shifted to its right, and then something violently crashed into it, ripping out stone and sending it tumbling to the bottom of the valley. And now standing before them, and without a scratch on him, was Tharmius. He peered into the cave, spotting them inside. "Move." He commanded, and jumped down, leaving them all slack jawed. Without skipping a beat, Elly rushed to the edge, chunks of metal flying off with streams of electricity connecting them to the main body, attempting to impale and slice Tharmius.

Again, he moved and struck at the creature, the team taking to one of the elevators and trying to down to assist him. "Another one of those things?!" Sam sounded exhausted, and they were all pretty hopeless that they could go for another fight against such a monster.

"No, this thing… this is a Rebscura… and it's a very dangerous one too… My electricity is going crazy, and it feels like I'm being pulled like a magnet." Lucy was trying to keep herself still, her wound still keeping her from moving too swiftly. Another crash and the monster would be smashed into the wall, followed by Tharmius rebounding from the opposite wall and crashing into it, tearing into the metal shell to reveal the shining interior. He placed his claws together and fired a quick barrage of purple aura spheres, blowing it up from the inside out, making the elevator swing and groan as metal burst out all around them. Elly's quick intervention with her dark matter kept them from getting hurt, but blocked their view for just a bit.

When they could see again, and they touched the ground, everything was covered in a cloud of dust, three figures fighting. As they cleared, Tharmius stood in the middle, his cloak perfectly fine as electricity sparked from either side, the dust clearing to reveal two tiger like creatures: one with red stripes, the other with blue, grotesque and deformed, with several spikes surging with electricity, and several cuts from which that black goop oozed. They both roared, and their furs would go from black to golden, and attempted to join back into the bigger sphere with Tharmius in between.

"Dang it, we're going to have to fight again! Sam, Nox to th-" Elly would soon figure out it wasn't necessary: even though the electricity was enough to drag Lucy across the floor again, Tharmius didn't budge. Bolts hit his cloak, searing and burning it, but the scales underneath were untouched, electricity bouncing and surging across them to his claws, as he spun… and reversed the polarity. The electricity they tried to use to kill him was now used against them, pulled to his claws violently, were he gripped their heads, then spun once again, allowing them to join… but with his fists serving as the main force, crushing their heads and skulls with a sickening snap, and ending the fight before they could even come up with a strategy.

The shockwave that followed the crunch fell into silence as he let go of those lifeless bodies, letting them fall to the ground and walked away and towards Team Star. Behind him, the remains crackled with electricity before it all surged upward and toward the sky, to leave the valley forever. He glanced at the group, and once he was a few feet away, stopped and spoke. "It seems I was not the only one who fought against one of these creatures today." They all stood there in silence, and in shock.

"How did… how did you do that?" Elly was the first to gather up her thoughts, and manage to speak her mind. He simply glanced back at where the Rebscura had been, and looked at her. "Just… what are you?" And to this, she only received a sincere, yet sinister smile as a response.

"God's wrath, given flesh."

* * *

" _Not long after, the tribe's members all came out of their hiding spots, and once they saw the monster was gone, they celebrated that their curse was lifted. We were about to get kicked out by the tribe's leader, but…_ "

" _But?_ " Eric asked again, having been told of everything that had happened once they'd been allowed to rest in one of the village's houses. They were all simply resting, no celebration was happening. There was much to be done to repair the damage that had been sustained during Tharmius' and their fights.

" _He stepped in between, said that we too had tackled a deadly opponent, and as proof he lead them to their graveyard. Obviously that… thing's shell was there still, so we were immediately cleared of trying to steal or rob a tomb or something._ "

" _All's well that ends well then. You killed two of those things, and though you didn't get that fragment, you still avoided the deaths of hundreds. Imagine if those things had gotten out and to the rest of the region._ "

" _That's the thing… I don't think we were even necessary there… Eric, he killed one of those things alone. He barely had a scratch on him, and we almost died when we fought them._ "

" _Well… we can't be sure it wasn't weakened, or at the very least, wasn't as powerful as either the Parasite or the Hunter… would've liked to see him deal with either of those alone._ " His words, while comforting, did little to ease the turmoil within Elly's heart at that time, sighing in defeat.

" _I guess… regardless, we're going to be heading back soon. I already reported on what happened, and a special unit has been dispatched. The entire area has been declared a disaster zone, and I don't blame them. I just hope that they accept the help._ "

" _I'm sure they will, they won't be that stupid_." Elly sighed. " _I can't wait for you to get home. I've gotten a lot better these past few days, I-_ "

" _You better have not started training again!_ " Her accusation was met with silence from the other end of the psychic link.

" _Hmmm? What's that Jake? Yeah, I'm coming! Sorry honey got to g-_ "

"Eric don't you dare leave on that! Eric!" She huffed, and rolled her eyes. He was going to get an earful when she got home… which would most likely be preceded by a comforting hug. She could go for one right now, like the one Zed and Lucy were enjoying. The two of them were spending a lot of time talking, and trying to clear their minds on what had happened earlier. She peered into the room, the duo looking at her.

"Excuse me, do you mind?" Lucy asked in a somewhat annoyed, but joking tone nonetheless.

"Oh I don't think you have any right to sass me after your display just earlier Lucy."

"Yeah, honey… I think she deserves some answers."

"And an apology…" Lucy sighed. "Sorry for being such a massive bitch earlier."

"Oh, you do that all the time… but I'll take your apology now." She bumped her shoulder with her smiling. "Finally have the guts to say what's been on your mind?" She nodded, and Elly gave her friends some space for her to vent out everything: her feelings about her father, many things which she'd already told Zed, her relationship with her parents…

"I've just never felt like either of them loved me, that I was some sort of mistake on someone's part, and they couldn't decide who was to blame. That got to me, and my brother. And when he left… well it only got worse."

"I can see why he'd do it… But to leave like that…" She couldn't approve or condemn his reaction to the decaying relationship of their parents. "And you think he's out there looking for you?" Lucy nodded. "Then I'm sure we'll find him sometime in the future, we just need to keep pressing and asking."

"More like start, I'd been putting it off for ages… I was just scared to move on, and see what awaited. I guess… I was growing complacent, being here with you guys, but part of me wanting to go look for him, because I felt compelled to… and seeing my family like that really drove that point home, made me feel like I'd been wasting my time… But there was even more to it." She glanced at Zed, and he sighed in defeat.

"What else?"

"That I hadn't been completely honest, or tried to support her as much as I should've… Because I know how it felt like, to have a dysfunctional family and be caught in the middle of it. Except, in my case… the conflict was started with my brother."

"Wait, you had a brother?" Elly's question was responded with a nod. "You never told us."

"I never wanted to bring him up again. I was a shiny born to normal parents, he was normal, and back in the day, in Unova, if you were shiny you were less than dirt. My parents knew better and raised me as best as they could… but he made my life hell. She patted his back, hugging him. "Hey now… I'm supposed to be the one offering support here…"

"Oh shush, you… you dumb mummy." The return of that nickname made all of three of them chuckle. Only one missing was Eric, and the original group would be back together again. "Still, your mother didn't…" Zed shook his head.

"She always denied it, until the very last day. I came from this continent, Unova, and as you can see… they aren't exactly keen to shinies."

"I've heard stories about it." Elly cut in, looking at Lucy. "That there have been cases of normal coloured pokémon parents having shiny or differently coloured children. It's apparently due to some dormant genes from a shiny ancestor that came out at random."

"Wow… That must be like, a one in a million kind of thing."

"It is. I'm sorry to hear about all of that Zed." He shook his head, smiling.

"It's ok, seriously… I'm glad to see that things are a lot more relaxed over here too. I was scared, coming over, that I would be going back to that same society… then again, we were only in Pontavicel, not further inland." The images of those plantations and manors loomed on their minds. "But anyways: from now, I want us to be honest with each other Lucy, if you want to talk about something, have something on your mind that's worrying you, or just… well, want to talk in private, I'm there for you, ok?" He'd gripped her paws as he spoke, the Luxio looking at him with a blush, then hugging him and kissing him.

Elly couldn't help but giggle, earning herself a glare from the two of them. "Sorry, it's just… Well, it's what Eric and I do all of the time, you know?" She stood up. "But alright, I'll give you some time to be alone and talk. I'll come around later to tell you when we're leaving, ok? Don't go doing something that takes too long to finish!" They all knew what she meant, the Luxio murring and looking at her mate.

"Oh with me, it doesn't take long~" Her sultry tone made Zed blush and swallow nervously. She opted to leave those two alone, and headed back to the main room, closing the door behind her. They no longer had a guard, since there no longer was danger outside, but they opted to remain inside and rest up. The only one who was defying that was Sam, who despite the severity of his wounds, after Zed properly treated him, he seemed to act as if nothing had happened, packing his bags.

"Oh, you're leaving already?" Elly asked as she came into the room. Nox was also there, on a chair, talking with Sam.

"Hm? Oh yea, was just tellin' Nox here: I stick around with you lot, I'd get all caught up with the guild back in Pontavicel, and I ain't gonna get locked up against for a night just so I can bust out." He tied up the bag, filled with food, water and some other commodities he'd 'borrowed' from the house.

"Well, if that's the case, if you came with us we could try and make a case, say you ended up helping us with the… creature, and maybe you could get a reduced sentence. Also, if you have some vouching for you and saying that you weren't the instigator…"

"Was the instigator though." He glared at her. "Ya'll are pretty scummy for being with the law, y'know?" His critique stung the Eevee's conscience, but he quickly followed up. "Don't mean no disrespect… To be honest, it don't take much to realize that the whole thing's just a bunch of bullcrap, specially here. Unova's fuckin' burstin' at the seams with all those Hoennian plantations, and there's some shinies in there too, for good measure."

Nox shifted uncomfortably upon hearing that. "What a bunch of assholes… can't believe nobody's doing anything about it."

"From what I've read, the towns here protect those plantations because of the income and business they produce."

"That ain't all of it though. Whole continent's got a dark side to it, even grimier than the shit you see here on the surface: assassinations, muggings, thieving, kidnapping, arson… All because of the organizations running the place from the shadows. Pontavicel, as good as it looks, has always been a breeding ground for that sort of stuff. There's a reason they set up the guild there, for cryin' out loud."

"To catch those kinds of operations? What kind of mafia are we talking about?" Elly's question seemed to fall on deaf ears as Sam finished his preparations.

"Big one. That's all I'll say on the matter… anyways, don't need nobody stickin' their necks out for me. I know how to handle meself out there, always done it like in the past, and it's always worked out, so shouldn't be too difficult. Given what happened in the last two days though, and… that fuckin' tough ass costumer out there, I don't think I'll stick around in this continent for long."

"Don't blame you, we too like to avoid him. He doesn't bring anything but bad news, wherever he goes."

"Yeah. have to admit, I'd be fucking running for the hills if I were in that guy's sights though."

"Don't remind us!" Nox shuddered when the Krokorok said that. "He fucking took out one of those things all by himself."

"Yeah, and we keep telling ourselves that maybe it wasn't as strong as the last, but that's obviously a lie, all things considered." They all remained quiet for a few more seconds, before Sam clicked his tongue.

"Well, I'll leave you guys with that. I got my own issues to solve, but if we run into each other, make sure that Riolu is with ya'll, ya hear? I wanna beat his ass back."

"He barely even did anything, you picked the fight with him!" Elly replied in annoyance, the Ground type shaking a claw, then waving back. Elly and Nox said their goodbyes, and the Krokorok left the house. "And there he goes… what a character."

"Yeah, what a character alright… y'know, I don't think we would've pulled through without 'im. You see what he did to that thing?" He'd bludgeoned it almost to death, giving her a chance to deliver the coup de grace.

"Of course I did… we'll have to keep an eye on him, and on that Garchomp we were told about… From what Lucy said, they took one of those metal fragments. So that means they are with the Pursuer and his goons."

"Not great news to hear they got one of those shards… wonder what they'll do with it." An eerie silence hung over their heads. Nobody knew for sure, and that's what scared them the most. But given what they'd already seen those fragments do… it couldn't be anything good.

* * *

The moon light bounced off the mauled and deformed shell of the machine like being Team Star had dispatched. The tribe's sacred grounds had been disturbed and irreparably damaged by it… as such, they were doing their hardest to asses just how much had been lost. Tharmius had convinced them to tag along, should something happen or any stragglers be left behind. After what he'd done to Maximillian's followers, the Elder had been understandably tame in front of him, and so were his advisors. The blood curdling screams echoed still in their minds, the fact that no remains had been found after the scuffle with the Rebscura were telling.

And yet, there he stood, without a scratch, looking at that shell, the Excadrill looking from afar. He might've aided them, and appeared as an ally, but at what cost? His ways, his words, and his actions spoke of only one type of pokémon: one that could tear the world asunder to fulfill his goals, or bring about an age of prosperity. And he stood between the two paths, impassive, his choice made, but ambiguous nonetheless. Thinking more of the issue made a chill run down his spine, rushing to aid the villagers whilst Tharmius slowly turned his head to watch him run away.

"To think that you would lead us to our prize, and yet once again it eludes us." He looked at the former shell. "Your mere existence is troubling: are you a remnant of the past, or a sign of things to come? Whichever you may be, we are resolved, our goals are laid out before us, no matter the cost." He crouched and drew his claws across the surface. They didn't make a dent, until he put aura into them, and would being to scratch them. "You are not invincible, not before our might." He looked skyward.

"As useful as you were, you failed to draw them out completely… and Team Star and Elizabeth remain alive. The investment we made was perhaps too steep for the results we got. But at least we now comprehend their strategy, and have identified a weakness." He spoke aloud, drawing his conclusions, then moved to the head area, placing a claw on the broken glass dome. "Rest now, for your duty and that of your kin is fulfilled." He turned around, and walked to the villagers to aid in the repairs and damage assessment. "Next time, it shall be the doll's time to shine."

 **Not all is what it seems! We're nearing the end of this "first act" so to say, expect things to start picking up from here on out!**


End file.
